12:45pm | Reporting by Greggory Moore | Non-profit environmental group Heal the Bay has just released its annual End of Summer Beach Report Card, grading 650 beaches along the Pacific coast — and for the first time in the 21-year history of the database, all Long Beach beaches have received “A” grades, except for Mother’s Beach, which received a “B.” (Read the entire report here.)
Heal the Bay says that last year only 73 percent of beaches citywide received grades of “B” or higher. Matthew King, communications director for Heal the Bay, says the improvement, which he labels a “great accomplishment,” is “due to the city taking proactive measures to mitigate the problem” — that problem being that “Long Beach … is heavily impacted by upstream pollution flowing down the Los Angeles River.”
“By aggressively tackling our coastal water issues head on, we’re making a difference,” Mayor Bob Foster is quoted as saying in a City press release. “We still have work to do, but our water quality is improving, thanks to infrastructure improvements, grant funding, regional partnerships, technology and other innovative solutions.”
Heal the Bay notes that 92 percent of beaches statewide received grades of “B” or better.
“We continue to see water quality improvements at California beaches,” said Mark Gold, president of Heal the Bay. “A sustainable source of beach monitoring funding is critical to ensure that we continue to capitalize on these gains and safeguard the public health of millions of ocean users statewide.”
The City conducts weekly tests of Long Beach’s recreational waters, with the results available online, as well on a 24-hour recorded water information line, 562.570.4199.