A new environmental report gave three San Diego beaches high marks for year-round-water quality, but unfortunately two made the list for most-polluted in California because of Tijuana River sewage flow into coastal waters.
35 California beaches were recognized for their A+ water quality on the Heal the Bay's 31st Annual Report Card, including San Diego County's:
- Encina Creek in Carlsbad
- Carlsbad at Palomar Airport Road
- Tide Beach Park at Solana Vista Drive in Solana Beach
At #1 on the organization's Beach Bummer list for the most polluted beach in California, is San Diego County's Tijuana Sough National Wildlife Refuge. The beach located 3/4 of a mile north of the Tijuana River Mouth was ranked #6 on the list. “These beaches are impacted by sewage flowing from the Tijuana River and Punta Bandera Treatment Plant,” according to the report. “The sewage originates from impaired and insufficient sewage infrastructure in the city of Tijuana.”
The organization uses an A-F letter grading system to rank beaches on water quality and pollution. They noted that because of the low rainfall, some beaches were unable to collect accurate samples and that climate change is becoming a more prominent issue. “All regions of California are experiencing extreme or exceptional drought conditions in 2021,” Shelley Luce, president/CEO of Heal the Bay said. “Although decreases in rainfall generally improve water quality, our beaches and ocean ecosystems are still threatened by sea level rise, ocean acidification and other pollution sources. This is alarming as we expect people to increasingly seek out ocean beaches and freshwater swimming holes to cool off as local temperatures rise.”