Santa Cruz beach ranked worst in water quality in California

Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz. Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz. Photo: Kimberly Veklerov Photo: Kimberly Veklerov Image 1 of / 14 Caption Close Santa Cruz beach ranked worst in water quality in California 1 / 14 Back to Gallery

— Sign postings leading to the surf of Cowell Beach, just west of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, ban all the usual transgressions: diving, fires, litter, smoking, feeding the birds and sea lions.

But one advisory, from the Santa Cruz County health department, warns against a seemingly innocuous beach activity — touching the water. Even wading in ankle-deep is frowned upon.

That’s because, for the third straight year, Cowell has been crowned the worst beach in California for water quality, due in large part to animal excrement, according to a report released Thursday by environmental watchdog group Heal the Bay. Thanks to persistent drought conditions, though, Cowell is one of the outliers: 89 percent of beaches in Northern California and 95 percent statewide are very safe for beachgoers during the dry summer months, the report said.

The group’s annual report card of beaches doesn’t look at trash on the sand — for which Cowell wouldn’t be the biggest offender — but at the level of fecal indicator bacteria, microorganisms naturally found in the human gut, whose prevalence in the water suggests the presence of other pathogens.

“This is very much about human health — whether or not we’re going to get sick,” said John Largier, a UC Davis coastal oceanography professor who wasn’t involved with the report. “The fecal indicator bacteria itself doesn’t tell you anything about other risks to the ocean ecosystem.”

Water with high levels of the bacteria, such as E. coli, often comes from sewage, septic tank drainage or urban runoff — funneled into the seas by rainfall — and, if swallowed, has the potential to make surfers and swimmers sick.

Some enclosed beaches, though, are at the mercy of their geography, said James Alamillo, Heal the Bay’s water quality manager.

“When you have water that’s in essence still-like or pond-like, it has a greater opportunity to come in contact with a source,” he said. “When it does get contaminated, there’s not a mechanism to flush it out.”

Such is the case at Cowell Beach, tucked into a cove-like section of the coast adjacent to the Santa Cruz Wharf.

In addition to the Santa Cruz beach, two in the Bay Area made the top 10 “beach bummer” list: Sunnydale Cove at San Francisco’s Candlestick Point was No. 8, followed by San Mateo County’s Pillar Point Harbor in ninth.

Bay Area beach grades

The Bay Area counties included in the report — Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo and Sonoma — tallied just six beaches, out of 76, with grades of C, D or F during dry summer months, defined as the period between April and October when it’s not raining or within three days of rain. Overall, water quality at Northern California beaches was slightly worse this year compared with the previous five-year average, probably because of the heavier El Niño-driven rainfall, Alamillo said.

At Cowell, excrement largely from seagulls and sea lions, coupled with relatively calm waters, may be giving the beach its place at the top of the list, experts say. Since 2010, it has occupied the No. 1 or 2 ranking for worst in the state, prompting local officials to convene a working group to tackle the problem. The group plans to install bird fencing under the pier in the next two months, according to Heal the Bay’s report, to limit roosting and, thus, bird droppings in the water.

John Ricker, water resources division director for the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency, said the samples that fall short of state standards tend to be concentrated right below the wharf, and he’s hopeful the bird exclusion screens will significantly improve the water.

Though Cowell has gained a reputation among locals, its ideal conditions for beginner surfers and family outings mean that many don’t heed the health warnings.

“I swim in it every day and I’ve never gotten sick,” said Santa Cruz surf instructor Alex Philippides, 25, after a 20-minute swim. “I feel like a million bucks. It’s like cryotherapy.”

Careful with water

But Philippides said he’s careful not to swallow the water, as did a colleague once, becoming “violently ill” for several days. The county public health agency, though, has never received significant reports of illnesses or needed to close the beach, Ricker said.

Jose Gonzalez, 28, brings his three children to the beach when the currents aren’t too strong to educate them on the ocean. Even within 72 hours of rain, a time frame officials warn sees the highest levels of bacteria, Gonzalez will surf in the water, though he won’t bring the kids.

“Honestly,” he said, “I think if the public went to city meetings, they could definitely change this.”

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: kveklerov

10 worst beaches

in California

1. Cowell Beach, Santa Cruz County

2. Clam Beach County Park, Humboldt County

3. Shoreline Park, San Diego County

4. Monarch Beach,

Orange County

5. Santa Monica Pier,

Los Angeles County

6. Mother’s Beach,

Los Angeles County

7. Redondo Pier,

Los Angeles County

8. Sunnydale Cove,

San Francisco

9. Pillar Point Harbor,

San Mateo County

10. Pismo Beach,

San Luis Obispo County

To view the entire report, go to www.healthebay.org/