At this point, at least around these parts, the knowledge is fairly universal: When it rains, the lovely ocean to our south can get nasty with all sorts of bacteria, fertilizer runoff, sewage, and assorted other potentially harmful pollutants. Less advertised, and decidedly less understood, however, is when similar bouts of water quality trouble occur along popular Santa Barbara beaches during the rainless summer months when creeks run dry and the downstream flow goes on hold.
Such was the case this summer as sandy stretches from Gaviota to Carpinteria frequently saw nearby waters exceed state standardized levels for fecal coliform, total coliform, and enterococcus during routine weekly testing. And while a certain degree of this occurs every summer, the results for the hugely popular, county-run Arroyo Burro Beach (a k a Hendry’s Beach) have been alarming, to say the least. “Arroyo Burro has practically failed every single week this summer,” summed up the county’s point man for water quality testing, Willie Brummett, early last week as the beach failed to meet basic health standards for the 10th time in the past 11 weeks.
It is important to note that, in and of itself, indicator bacteria tests such as those used in water quality testing do not necessarily mean that nefarious pathogens are out to get you while playing in the sea, but rather that conditions exist that may be conducive to such pollutants being present. Nevertheless, the less-than-stellar summer track record, which often included fecal and total coliform as well as enterococcus results more than four times higher than the state standards for the well-traveled Hope Ranch beach, is certainly reason for concern. In fact, in its annual summer report card on the health of beaches throughout the West Coast released just last week, the Los Angeles-based water quality watchdog Heal the Bay gave Hendry’s an “F” — the only failing grade out of 20 tested beaches in the county.
The string of bad tests — which never actually necessitated a posted beach closure as that is only reserved for unadulterated raw sewage spills — prompted a circling of the wagons of sorts by both county and city water quality experts nearly two months ago. But still the less-than-ideal test results continue and, more importantly, the reason for them remains a mystery. “When things like this happen, we go into pretty extensive sampling mode to figure out what is going on,” explained Cameron Benson, the city’s Creeks Division manager. “Unfortunately, it really is like searching for a needle in a haystack.” Making matters even more difficult to explain has been the fact that on more than one occasion, the dirty results have come from water samples taken just offshore rather than those taken from the historically sullied estuary (a k a Arroyo Burro Creek) that flows onto the beach just east of the Boathouse Restaurant.
According to Brummett and Benson, the best guess as to who or what is responsible for the excessive results includes full-moon–driven high tides; dog poop on the beach; homeless people making “direct deposits” in the creek; leaky sewage pipes, both private and city-owned (interestingly enough, two sewage sniffing dogs brought out this summer from Michigan by the city did actually locate, among several other areas of concern, a leaky sewage pipe upstream from Hendry’s Beach); dirty gutters; illegal RV dumping; this past winter’s higher-than-average rainfall; and the fact that the aforementioned estuary has remained at least somewhat water-filled all summer (as compared to most summers when it is allowed to go dry).
Stressing the fact that bad indicator bacteria readings “don’t make people sick,” Benson lamented the shortcomings of a water quality test that “isn’t designed to tell you where the pollution is coming from.” For that, the city and the county would need DNA-based source testing, something that is expensive and takes weeks for the results to return, which would render the data useless for public safety purposes. “Unfortunately, with our budget the way it is, we can do the monitoring and that is about it,” said Brummett.
Comments
Leaky sewage pipes, perhaps from the county owned "Boathouse" building ? Too expensive to test the source? Cover up? From putting my ear to the sand, I here the rent on that building is 20k per month and 10% of the gross. I smell poo and is isn't from dogs.
lordleadbetter (anonymous profile)
October 7, 2010 at 8:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
yes yes on DNA testing, please someone/somebody donate the funding necessary for this. Heal The Ocean, where are you on this one?
surfrmom (anonymous profile)
October 7, 2010 at 8:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If you have ever trekked up through the neighborhoods that surround Arroyo Burro Creek and along Las Positas you would see that there are plenty of opportunities for leakage and contamination. Blaming one building and calling out a "cover up" seems just a bit oversimplified. Also, wasn't Elings Park a dump at one point?
Num1UofAn (anonymous profile)
October 7, 2010 at 10:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A report here would help if the bacterial pollution is in the surf zone or also evident in the culvert/arroyo that discharges into the lagoon.
And what happened to the sewage sniffer dogs?
David_Pritchett (David Pritchett)
October 7, 2010 at 1:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
A way bigger environmental problem than Floatopia.
pardallchewinggumspot (anonymous profile)
October 7, 2010 at 3:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The smell at Hendry's is now on par with that at the dog shelter.
Dog owners should be doing a better job of cleaning up after their best friends, but that is arguably only a fraction of the source of the bacterial pollution.
We took our family, dog included, to Hendry's for a beach picnic during the heat wave, and all I can say is, sadly, never again.....
babushka (anonymous profile)
October 7, 2010 at 6:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"what happened to the sewage sniffer dogs?"
David_Pritchett (David Pritchett)
October 7, 2010 at 1:25 p.m.
We are now doing the work that dogs used to do. By the way, the reason some of us are called bottlenose dolphins is because we end up swimming through the bottles tossed into the ocean by drunk sailors.
sixdolphins (anonymous profile)
October 8, 2010 at 3:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
As someone who drives or bikes by Hendry's everyday because I live nearby, I can tell you the smell of the place changed and got more pungent after the restaurant re-opened. But as is usually the case in all things biological, there are multiple factors to consider. Yes on the dogs—and lame irresponsible owners—I'm over them big time (and we are dog owners!). Go leave your poop in your own back yard and deal with it. Hendry's was a nicer family beach when NO DOGS were allowed to the east, period. Let's minimize the impact of dogs and lame owners and have dogs allowed to the west on county land only, with people only on city land to the east. Test the offshore H20, the lagoon and up-stream points and figure this out. With limited beach access in our town, this is disgusting not to have clean H20 at one of our most heavily used beaches. Oh yeah, I forgot the dump and the homeless, test them too.
surfrmom (anonymous profile)
October 8, 2010 at 7:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Interesting ideas on the potential pollution sources at Hendry's. I don't know if dog poop is causing that particular problem, but it is certainly a problem in itself - all over our city. One evening not long ago I met a vacationing couple from Texas aboard the Double Dolphin. Are we talked about Santa Barbara and their impressions of it, they both blurted out, "What is it with people and their dogs here?" The only reply I could make was, "They think they're in France." Dog merds lie stinking everywhere across town, and along every foothill trail, and they blanket the ground in any public park or open area. The repellent little plastic bags of dog merds seem to be left behind as often as they are carried out. At Ellwood, the abandoned bags line the trails like a twisted, oderiferous perversion of walkway luminaries. "You forgot your poo!", I say to folks dropping those bags...but their faces always twist in anger that anyone should question what comes out of the hind end of their beloved Osbert.
Sacheverell (anonymous profile)
October 8, 2010 at 9:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have personally been complaining about irresponsible dog owners for many years. The poop of their pets all over the place is just one symptom of a community with a surprisingly high percentage of thoughtless dog walkers. As a beach runner I've been bitten twice, jumped up at aggressively too many times to count and seen hundreds of neatly tied off "doggie bags" left in the sand, never to be picked up on the dog owner's return trip. All dogs should be "on leash" all the time, especially - gosh! - at leash only beaches, which means virtually all of them with the exception of Hendry's Beach at the foot of the Wilcox Property. Many dogs in this town are not trained well and they do not know better than to bother strangers and chase wildlife. The point is, their owners should know better and take responsibility. Heavens knows, very few dog owners will apologize when their dog disturbs an innocent passerby or if they are asked politely to put their dog on a leash. A glare and cold silence is too often the response. Disagree with me dog lovers? Then prove it with your behavior and ask other dog owners to avoid giving all of you a bad name!
emptynewsroom (anonymous profile)
October 8, 2010 at 3:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Residential development at the Mesa began decades ago. Are those homes on sewer or septic tanks?
CharlesB (anonymous profile)
October 8, 2010 at 6:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
DogPac is like the SEIU, like Cottage: it dominates city council....
citti (anonymous profile)
October 8, 2010 at 10:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This dog owner always picks up after her pooch, and sometimes after other people's dogs too. I am appalled by the irresponsible attitude of many, who leave their little bags of stink behind all over the parks and beaches.
Here is an idea: why not deputize the homeless who hang out at Hendry's and allow them to hand out $100 tickets to anyone seen to leave their dog waste behind?
blackpoodles (anonymous profile)
October 10, 2010 at 7:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"One evening not long ago I met a vacationing couple from Texas aboard the Double Dolphin."
Is he/she single...oh wait, how could a "double" dolphin be single.
Two friends are walking during a rainstorm and one says "it's raining cats and dogs so be careful not to step on a mud poodle".
sixdolphins (anonymous profile)
October 12, 2010 at 3:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)