When you think of the beach, you most likely picture white sand and clear water. But as we know, that’s not always the case. While clear water is not easy to come by in many beaches in the United States, there’s also many beaches out there that are just simply dangerous. A new report released Tuesday lists the most bacteria infested beaches in 29 coastal and Great Lakes states. The study looked at the number of days in 2018 that the water had bacteria counts exceeding Environmental Protection Agency standards. The Environment America Research and Policy Center report says the high counts can sicken an estimated 75,000 swimmers a year.
Most days of the year, beaches are considered safe. But sometimes bacteria counts can spike with fecal matter from people or animals as the chief culprit. It comes when sewers overflow or when fecal waste on streets washes into streams or creeks that flow to lakes or the ocean.
“It’s hard to believe that 47 years after we passed the Clean Water Act that we are still concerned with poop in the water when people want to go swimming,” said John Rumpler, clean water program director for the center.
In Chicago for example, 19 of 19 beaches sampled had at least one day last year when beaches were considered potentially unsafe for swimming. One, South Shore Beach, showed contamination on 93 of the 98 days in which samples were taken. Tanner Park in New York’s Suffolk County registered high on 48 out of 71 samples. None of the NYC beaches made the list though.
Here are the worst five beaches by state, ranked by most unsafe days as per the report:
Alabama
In this article:
• Fairhope Public Beach, Baldwin (21 unsafe days, 60 samples)
• Dog River, Alba Club, Mobile (9, 36)
• Camp Beckwith, Baldwin (8, 58)
• Volanta Avenue, Baldwin (8, 36)
• Orange Street Pier, Baldwin (6, 34)
California
• Inner Cabrillo Beach, Los Angeles (85 unsafe days, 175 samples)
• Coronado Ave. Beach, Los Angeles (62, 144)
• Salt Creek Beach, Orange (46, 80)
• Molino Avenue Beach, Los Angeles (45, 130)
• 5th Place Beach, Los Angeles (44, 140)
Connecticut
• Byram Beach (South), Fairfield (6 unsafe days, 20 samples)
• Byram Beach (North), Fairfield (6, 20)
• Seaside Park Beach (Southernmost), Fairfield (5, 14)
• Seaside Park Beach (South), Fairfield (4, 13)
• Seaside Park Beach (Mid), Fairfield (4, 14)
Delaware
• Slaughter Beach, Sussex (16 unsafe days, 25 samples)
• Fenwick Island State Park Beach, Sussex (3, 16)
• Rehoboth Beach, Sussex (3, 32)
• Broadkill Beach, Sussex (2, 16)
• Lewes Beach North, Sussex (2, 17)
Florida
• Bayou Texar, Escambia (24 unsafe days, 50 samples)
• Sanders Beach, Escambia (23, 64)
• Crandon Park on Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade (17, 63)
• Bird Key Park, Sarasota (17, 67)
• Venice Fishing Pier, Sarasota (15, 64)
Georgia
• St. Simons Island Lighthouse, Glynn (6 unsafe days, 50 samples)
• Skidaway Narrows, Chatham (3, 8)
• Kings Ferry, Chatham (3, 4)
• Tybee Island, Polk St., Chatham (3, 46)
• Jekyll Driftwood Beach, Glynn (2, 46)
Hawaii
• Keehi Lagoon (North), Honolulu (11 unsafe days, 91 samples)
• Keehi Lagoon (South), Honolulu (10, 91)
• Punaluu Beach Park, Honolulu (9, 12)
• MS2 (Kapoho Point), Honolulu (9, 20)
• Kalihi Channel, Honolulu (8, 91)
Illinois
• South Shore Beach, Cook (93 unsafe days, 98 samples)
• 63rd Street Beach, Cook (91, 95)
• Foster Avenue Beach, Cook (90, 96)
• Calumet South Beach, Cook (89, 96)
• Rogers Avenue Park Beach, Cook (89, 95)
Indiana
• Jeorse Park Beach I, Lake (40 unsafe days, 111 samples)
• Jeorse Park Beach II, Lake (38, 111)
• Buffington Harbor Beach, Lake (28, 111)
• Indiana Dunes State Park East Beach, Porter (23, 101)
• Washington Park Beach, LaPorte (22, 105)
Louisiana
• North Beach Calcasieu 11 31
• Cypremort Point State Park St. Mary 10 31
• Fontainebleau State Park St. Tammany 10 29
• Rutherford Beach Cameron 9 31
• Holly Beach – 4 Cameron 7 31
Maine
• Goose Rocks Beach – Site 5 York 14 39
• Goose Rocks Beach – Site 1 York 9 39
• Willard Beach Cumberland 8 26
• Ogunquit Beach York 7 14
• Kennebunk Beach York 6 18
Maryland
• Camp Pecometh Kent 9 16
• Public Landing Beach near Snow Hill Worcester 8 15
• Ocean City Beach 1 Worcester 8 28
• Purse State Park Charles 7 12
• Ferry Park Kent 7 10
Massachusetts
• Nahant Bay at Eastern Ave Essex 39 92
• Tenean Beach Suffolk 26 94
• Nahant Bay at Pierce Road Essex 23 92
• Nahant Bay at Kimball Road Essex 21 92
• Quincy Shore at Channing Street Norfolk 18 93
Michigan
• St. Clair Shores Memorial Park Beach Macomb 26 49
• Pier Park Wayne 15 20
• HCMA/Lake St. Clair Metropark Beach Macomb 13 51
• New Baltimore Park Beach Macomb 12 48
• Singing Bridge Beach Arenac 11 11
Minnesota
• New Duluth Boat Club landing St. Louis 16 37
• Near Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge St. Louis 10 29
• Agate Bay Lake 5 17
• Twin Points Public Access Lake 4 16
• Flood Bay Lake 3 14
Mississippi
• Gulfport East Beach Harrison 44 66
• Shearwater Beach Jackson 35 64
• Long Beach Harrison 35 67
• Gulfport Central Beach Harrison 35 62
• Courthouse Road Beach Harrison 34 60
New Hampshire
• State Beach-Left Rockingham 5 26
• State Beach-Center Rockingham 5 27
• New Castle Island-Right Rockingham 4 23
• State Beach-Right Rockingham 3 26
• Sawyer Beach-Right Rockingham 2 8
New Jersey
• Berkeley Township/Beachwood Beach West Ocean 14 22
• Belmar Borough at L Street Beach Monmouth 11 21
• Berkeley Township at West Beach Avon Rd Ocean 8 19
• Brick Township at Windward Beach Ocean 8 22
• Highlands Borough at Highlands Rec Ctr Monmouth 8 19
New York
• Tanner Park Suffolk 48 71
• Woodlawn Beach State Park Erie 47 104
• Shirley Beach Suffolk 28 47
• Venetian Shores Suffolk 28 48
• Valley Grove Beach Suffolk 24 51
North Carolina
• Sound access at the intersection of
E. Main St./Tooley St., Belhaven Beaufort 11 35
• NC Maritime Museum Sailing Camp Carteret 8 41
• Pamlico River- City Park Beaufort 8 17
• End of Shore Line Dr. Pender 7 39
• Pamlico River-Washington-Trestle Beaufort 7 17
Ohio
• Bay View West Erie 48 70
• Maumee Bay State Park (Inland) Lucas 43 56
• Villa Angela State Park Cuyahoga 42 115
• Lakeview Beach Lorain 39 60
• Euclid State Park Cuyahoga 38 112
Oregon
• Sunset Bay State Park Beach/Big Creek Coos 11 18
• Nye Beach turnaround/discharge pipe Lincoln 5 11
• Harris Beach State Park at Harris Creek Curry 5 7
• Sunset Bay, Seep Creek Coos 5 11
• Sunset Bay State Park Beach/North Beach Coos 4 18
Pennsylvania
• Beach 11 West in Thompson Bay Erie 17 39
• Beach 11 East in Thompson Bay Erie 17 39
• Beach 11 Center in Thompson Bay Erie 16 39
• Barracks Beach West Erie 9 31
• Barracks Beach East Erie 7 31
Rhode Island
• Easton’s Beach Newport 10 29
• Conimicut Point Beach -West Kent 6 25
• Goddard Memorial State Park-Center Kent 5 27
• Sandy Point Beach -South Newport 5 26
• Oakland Beach -Center Kent 5 26
South Carolina
• Withers Swash Horry 32 70
• Myrtle Beach at 24th Ave. N Horry 30 70
• White Point Swash Horry 26 70
• Bear Branch Swash Horry 26 70
• Cane Patch Swash Horry 26 70
Texas
• Cole Park – Site 3 Nueces 52 64
• Ropes Park – Site 2 Nueces 43 59
• Cole Park – Site 4 Nueces 42 53
• Cole Park – Site 2 Nueces 38 56
• Poenisch Park Nueces 35 55
Virginia
• North Community Beach Norfolk city 7 18
• Captains Quarters Norfolk city 5 18
• 10th View, Behind Quality Inn, Norfolk city 4 18
• 15th Street Virginia Beach city 4 20
• 13th View, North End Norfolk city 3 18
Washington
• Sooes Beach Clallam 7 41
• Lummi Bay, adjacent to 2nd tidegate Whatcom 5 34
• Dakwas Park Beach, Neah Bay Clallam 5 48
• Little Squalicum Park Whatcom 5 15
•Cline Spit County Park Clallam 4 15
Wisconsin
• Cupertino Park Milwaukee 40 60
• McKinley Marina Roundhouse Milwaukee 36 61
• Wolfenbuttel Park Kenosha 27 51
• North Nicolet Bay Campground Door 18 59
• Racine North Beach – Site 1 Racine 18 65
HT: Environment America Research and Policy Center
