San Diego's North County Boasts 12 'Honor Roll' Beaches: Report

SAN DIEGO, CA: San Diego County boasted the most beaches on Heal the Bay's 26th annual Beach Report Card Honor Roll, with 14 sites earning top marks — 12 of them in North County.

The report card released Thursday by the environmental group gave an A+ for water quality to each of the following beaches in Oceanside, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Solana Beach, Ocean Beach and Point Loma:

• San Luis Rey River outlet, foot of Forster Street and St. Malo Beach in Oceanside;
• Encina Creek outlet and ends of Cerezo Drive, Palomar Airport Road, Ponto Drive and Poinsettia Lane in Carlsbad;
• San Elijo State Park and Seaside State Park in Encinitas;
• the foot of Solana Vista Drive and Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach; and
• the Ocean Beach Pier and Point Loma Lighthouse in San Diego.

Heal the Bay analysts compiled the rankings by assigning A-to-F letter grades to 456 beaches along the California coast for three reporting periods in 2015-2016, based on levels of weekly bacterial pollution. 

Unfortunately, according to the report, one of the state's worst beaches when it comes to water quality can also be found in San Diego County.

Shoreline Beach Park at Shelter Island earned an F, pegging it as the third-worst beach in California on Heal the Bay's Beach Bummers List. According to the report, 14 of 31 water samples at Shoreline Beach Park exceeded state bacterial standards. The beach in front of several Shelter Island hotels hadn't received lower than a B grade since 2003, according to the report.

Heal the Bay said that of the 72 monitoring locations on beaches in San Diego County, 62 received an A and eight were given a B. 

A spot on Mission Bay labeled the Comfort Station received a D.

"A day at the beach shouldn't make anyone sick," said Leslie Griffin, chief water quality scientist for Heal the Bay. "The reassuring news is that if you swim at an open-ocean beach in the summer away from storm drains, creek mouths and piers you stand very little risk of getting ill."

Overall, though, ocean water quality at California beaches is continuing to improve, thanks in part to a lack of rain runoff attributable to the continuing drought, Heal the Bay said. 

Only 12 of the state's 456 beaches (3 percent) monitored statewide received D or F grades during summer dry weather, when most beachgoers typically use the ocean. High bacteria counts at these sites are linked to such potential illnesses as stomach flu, ear infections and major skin rashes.

To avoid illness, ocean-goers can check the latest water quality grades at their favorite beaches, based on the latest samples, each week at Beachreportcard.org.

Heal the Bay also urges beachgoers to avoid enclosed beaches, which are often riddled with harmful bacteria, and to swim at least 100 yards away from flowing storm drains and piers.

A complete list of Heal the Bay's Honor Roll beaches can be found by clicking here.

— City News Service contributed to this report.

(Image via Parks.ca.gov)