LA County Public Health: Avoid select beaches due to bacteria

As rising temperatures likely move people toward the coast, high bacteria levels at nine Los Angeles County beaches prompted the Department of Public Health to recommend avoiding any contact with ocean water.

The department issued its warning Friday for these locations that registered higher-than-acceptable bacteria levels when last tested.:

• Santa Monica Canyon Creek at Will Rogers State beach, near Will Rogers Tower 18, 100 yards up and down the coast from the creek;

• Topanga Canyon Beach in Malibu, 100 yards up and down the coast from the lagoon;

• Mothers Beach in Marina Del Rey, entire swim area;

• Malibu Lagoon at Surfrider Beach, 100 yards up and down the coast from the public restrooms;

• Santa Monica Pier, 100 yards up and down the coast from the pier;

• Trancas Creek at Zuma Beach, 100 yards up and down the coast from the creek;

• Malibu Pier, 100 yards up and down the coast from the pier;

• Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, the entire swim area; and

• Escondido Creek at Escondido State Beach, the entire swim area.

Also Friday, the department lifted an earlier bacteria warning for the Sweetwater Canyon Storm Drain area at Carbon Canyon Beach in Malibu because recent testing indicated the water quality complied with state standards.

Information on beach conditions is available 24 hours daily via the county’s beach closure hotline, 800-525-5662. A map of locations affected by high bacteria levels and more coastal information is online: PublicHealth.LACounty.gov/Beach.