Local Beach warnings

[Kelsea]

I know not all of us check these warnings online before we plan our dives, but just FYI if you wanted to hit up any of these places soon...

"The following diving beaches have just been posted with warnings due to
elevated bacteria levels:

-IN LAGUNA BEACH,
. 300 FEET OF VICTORIA BEACH;

-IN DANA POINT,
. FROM SALT CREEK TO 300 FEET UPCOAST OF SALT CREEK AT MONARCH BEACH;

Other OC beaches that are posted with warnings are viewable at:
http://ocbeachinfo.com/index.htm"

I get the OCdiving news emails and they usually have good info like this. Safe diving everyone!

[rrogueman]

Kelsea: do they ever say what kind of bacteria their isolating. e coli? Or do they just say high bacteria count?

[cmburch]

http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/health/beaches/

Some laboratories test for coliforms or more specific fecal coliforms or enterocuccus.

In some areas if there is a sewage overflow or tidal/current problem (sewage not going out to sea but coming into shore) there may be high counts.

I've seen some signs along Cannery Row, at Stillwater, Santa Cruz, and Marin this past year or so.

It gives the explanation of indicator organism while not indicative of disease causing organisms can indicate the presence of human waste.

Birds and other animals have coliform bacteria in their poop. Do seals, sea lions, and dolphins have coliform bacteria?

If some ducks poop and the laboratory samples downstream or nearby it gets a positive reading.

Samples are collected for microbiological analysis in sterile 100 mL containers.

The reporting units are Colony Forming Units, CFU per 100 mL. CFU/100mL

[Double-D]

Thanks for the update!

[doughboy]

Thanks for the update..I went out last night off the Dana wall..It sucked could not see anything..It sure looked like there was shit in the water..

[Atmosphere]

http://www.earth911.org/waterquality/index.asp?cluster=0

The site is having issues right now but it's normally a good tool

[rrogueman]

atmosphere Thanks,, Yep, site is having issues.

Cmburch: thanks for the info. Do they usually post the exact micro organism (MO) with each warning? Is it on the site that atmosphere posted or is there anotherway to find out?

[Daryl Bulloch]

Sorry guys, I ate two burritos like 3 days ago. At least I now know how long it takes for runoff to get from Riverside to the coast.

[rrogueman]

I thought I smelt chimichanga:lol:
(get it smelt):thumps:

[cmburch]

The Monterey link has results for lab analyses with dates sampled by clicking on the beach of interest.

These tests are general for indicator organisms such as Escherichia coli. The tests do not speciate. E. coli is part of the groups that the Total Coliform and Faecal Coliform tests are for. They do additional tests such as Gram staining for a more specific testing periodically to make sure that is part of the group being detected by these tests.

Enterococcus of which E. coli is not part of, is a better more reliable indicator of bacteria from the human gut.

The Riverside Regional Water Quality Treatment Plant has biological treatment and chlorination. If it was not for the smell one may never know by the name that it was a sewage treatment plant. :eek: While the active bean digesting bacteria colonies from Daryl's gut may not be disease causing, his specific fecal coliforms probably never make it to the outfall to be a reliable indicator of human fecal contamination.

[danieltyack]

I thought I smelt chimichanga:lol:
(get it smelt):thumps:

Your Fired... :cowboy:

[rrogueman]

Cmburch: Thanks for the info. I’m up to speed on MO, causes, diagnosis, and treatment, just not where to find information about beach contaminations. Thanks for the input. I’ll check it out.

[sciencemike]

I went out Friday morning and there was a layer of scum on the surface that made my wet suit stink. I have never seen such a thick layer of scum and debris. But the topsmelt and sardines are out there in numbers like i have never seen before. We waited for the fish to pass and it took over 5 minutes for the entire school to swim past us. Beware of the Jelly fish, we had 2 big guys yesterday stick to us, they were probably blown in with the debris.

Pretty disgusting out there.