Santa Cruz County Water Quality Conditions

Santa Cruz County Water Quality Conditions

Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Service (EHS) has conducted regular testing of freshwater and saltwater swimming areas since 1968. Fecal coliform has been used as the test for freshwater during that whole period. Total coliform was used in salt water until 1994, when it was replaced by the more specific fecal coliform bacteria testing. Testing at swimming areas was performed weekly during the summer and intermittently at other times. In 1999, EHS began testing marine waters for total coliform, E.coli and enterococcus, pursuant to AB 411. EHS currently conducts water monitoring efforts at approximately 120 sites each month throughout Santa Cruz County encompassing both fresh and marine water environments. In the past, this has included detailed investigations and extensive sampling of Lower San Lorenzo River (1997), Lower Soquel Creek and Capitola Lagoon (1987), and Lower Aptos Creek (1987). The following tables and figures summarize Santa Cruz County data on beach posting and water quality of beaches and streams.

Water quality has been a concern for many years. The first report of poor water quality in the lower San Lorenzo River was presented to the County Health Officer by the State Department of Public Health by letter report dated October 1, 1953. An investigation was conducted after a routine beach survey had revealed high levels of coliform organisms “exceeding numbers generally considered safe for recreational purposes”. Although beach water quality tends to fluctuate from year to year there does not appear to be any long term trend (Figure 1). Although the number of postings was higher in 2002 (Figure 2 and Table 3), the quality of water entering the beaches from the creeks was not significantly worse (Table 2).

Table 4 presents a summary of water quality data from 1987-2002 for all major beaches and creeks along the coast. It is clear that the highest levels of contamination and resultant beach posting occur at Rio del Mar, Capitola, and Santa Cruz Main Beach, the focus areas of this study.

Figure 1: Trends in Summer Beach Water Quality (1975-2002)

Table 2: Percent of Time Safe Body Contact Standards Exceeded at Creek Mouths

(Fecal coliform >400/100ml) (Entire Year/ Swimming season)

Location / 1999 / 2000 / 2001 / 2002 / 2003
Soquel Creek mouth / 61 / 55 / 75 / 78 / 79 / 79 / 72 / 59 / 71 /53
Aptos Creek mouth / 71 / 69 / 86 / 63 / 88 / 74 / 56 / 58 / 59 / 83
San Lorenzo River mouth / 67 / 85 / 46 / 53 / 62 / 66 / 42 / 39 / 50 / 61
Schwan Lake mouth / 90 / 81 / 80 / 79 / 79 / 72 / 69 / 67 / 95 / 87
Pajaro River mouth / 18 / 11 / 15 / 5 / 19 / 0 / 25 / 6 / 6 / 0

Safe body contact standards should not exceed an average (logmean of 200 bacteria per 100 milliliters of sample water when measured five times over a one month period nor exceed 400 bacteria per 100 milliliters for any single-sample result. Bacteria measurements taken for fecal coliform bacteria or E. coli bacteria, a sub-set of fecal coliform bacteria.

Figure 2: Beach Postings, 1991-2002

Table 3: Days Santa Cruz County Beaches Posted by Year 1991-2003

Beach / 1991-1999 / 2000 / 2001 / 2002 / 2003 (Jan-July) / Total
Natural Bridges Beach / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Cowell Beach / 24 / 15 / 5 / 36 / 0 / 80
Santa Cruz Main Beach / 15 / 5 / 2 / 23 / 0 / 45
Seabright Beach / 0 / 0 / 2 / 5 / 0 / 7
Twin Lakes Beach / 0 / 0 / 2 / 1 / 0 / 3
Capitola Beach / 69 / 17 / 35 / 45 / 6 / 172
New Brighton Beach / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2 / 2
Seacliff Beach / 20 / 8 / 0 / 1 / 5 / 34
Rio del Mar Beach / 24 / 21 / 1 / 1 / 10 / 57
Pajaro Beach / 14 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 15
Total / 166 / 66 / 48 / 112 / 23 / 415

Table 4: Fecal coliform and Enterococcus at Beaches and Creek Mouths

LOCATION / Logmean Fecal Coliform / Logmean Entero-coccus / Percent Samples Standard Exceeded Fecal Coliform / Percent Samples Standard Exceeded Entero-coccus / Days Posted 2002 / Days Posted 1999-2002
Standard / 200 / 35 / 400 / 104
Oceans
Pajaro Dunes Beach / 6 / 3 / 24% / 0% / 1
Manresa Beach / 5 / 3 / 0% / 0% / 0
Hidden Beach / 10
RDM Beach @Aptos C Mouth / 57 / 48 / 25% / 40% / 1 / 43
Seacliff Beach @ Cement Ship / 41 / 9 / 7% / 13% / 1 / 25
New Brighton Beach / 19 / 4 / 12% / 14% / 0
Capitola Beach / 106 / 22 / 25% / 32% / 45 / 101
41st Ave, Beach / 12
Pleasure Point / 11
Moran Lake Beach / 9
Corcoran Lagoon Beach / 10 / 4 / 8% / 0% / 6
Twin Lakes Beach / 11 / 7 / 11% / 32% / 1 / 3
Main Beach (@ Boardwalk) / 50 / 18 / 18% / 12% / 23 / 30
Cowell Beach / 47 / 20 / 19% / 24% / 36 / 56
Lighthouse Beach / 20
Mitchell’s Cove / 16
Natural Bridges Beach / 11 / 4 / 12% / 0% / 0
Scott Creek Beach / 3 / 4 / 0% / 0% / 0
Waddell Creek Beach / 4 / 5 / 0% / 8% / 0
Creeks/Lagoons
Pajaro R @ Mouth / 109 / 20 / 40% / --
Aptos Creek @ Mouth / 635 / 1483 / 78% / 100% / Permanent
Soquel Cr @ Flume Outlet / 455 / 251 / 68% / 88% / Permanent
Soquel Cr @ Flume Inlet / 852 / 84% / --
Corcoran L @ Mouth / 80 / 21 / 51% / --
Schwan Lake @ Mouth / 887 / 362 / 81% / 82% / Permanent
SLR Rivermouth @ Trestle / 345 / 101 / 66% / 70% / Permanent
Neary Lagoon @ Mouth / 289 / 835 / 58% / 83% / Permanent
Woodrow Cr @ Mouth / 436 / 646 / 67% / --
Almar St Storm Drain / 182 / 331 / 44% / --
Intel C @ Mouth / 820 / 75% / --
Scott Cr @ Mouth / 47 / 16 / 23% / 17%
Waddell Cr @ Mouth / 58 / 23 / 28% / --