Beach grades push us to keep up good work

Marin beachgoers got some reassurance recently, when Heal the Bay's “Beach Report Card” showed that all but one of Marin's 26 beaches got a clean bill of health.

They got an A or A+ grade in the 2022 annual report card's test of fecal bacteria levels in the water.

That shows that clean-water consciousness and practices are paying off.

Other counties didn't fare as well.

In fact, Heal the Bay, an environmental organization, graded Marin's beaches as

“top of the class.”

The one Marin beach testing lower — graded a C — was Lawson's Landing near Dillon Beach.

Heal the Bay's test results were taken during the dry weather in the spring and summer, when local beaches attract more visitors and swimmers.

Winter tests would likely show higher levels of fecal bacteria because storms were carrying pollutants from hillsides into the ocean, leading Heal the Bay to call for placing a higher priority on projects that manage stormwater.

The 2022 weekly tests showed, however, an impressive improvement in the 2021 grade for Drakes Beach, going from a F to an A. Heal the Bay says the swing in grades may have been the result of the timing and amount of rainfall, especially 2021's wet October, which flushed toxins into the water following two years of drought.

The 2023 results will show whether preventive measures are paying off.

But the weekly test results should provide the county Office of Environmental Health good reason to look into possible causes. That also goes for any significant shifts, such as April 2023 results that showed a spike in bacteria levels at Drakes Estero, leading the National Park Service to post a public health advisory until the following week's results showed that the problem had diminished enough that access to the water was deemed healthy.

Also, in recent weeks, an advisory was issued based on higher levels found in test results along a stretch of Stinson Beach.

County officials cautioned that such advisories do not necessarily indicate there is an ongoing pollution problem. The source of the higher counts and advisory could be temporary, such as dog feces that reached the water.

But in both situations, it provides officials good reason to look for possible causes.

What's important is that the results promote public awareness, whether it's swimmers who should avoid the water at certain beaches or upstream properties that need to do more to manage what is draining down creeks and streams into the ocean.

Heal the Bay's report card can be found online at bit. ly/3PEoW0y. The county also issues weekly public health advisories on its website, bit. ly/3NH5yOU.

Regular and frequent science-based monitoring — either by Heal the Bay's staff or local volunteers or county and parks officials — is important in the equation of helping keep our beaches clean and safe.

Our 2022 scores are impressive and reassuring, but also good reason to continue monitoring with the ultimate goal of keeping them that way.

Heal the Bay, an environmental organization, graded Marin's beaches as `top of the class.'