Heal the Bay just released its 2019-2020 beach report card and Orange County beaches are some of the best. Heal the Bay surveys over 500 beaches along the 840 miles of coast, 95% of the Orange County beaches received above average grades during dry-season months which is when beaches are used the most.

Orange County had the most beaches on the Honor Roll with 20, which is double what it had last year. To make the honor roll a beach must score an A+ in all three seasons (summer dry, winter dry, wet weather). Beaches in our service area to receive the honor are:

• Seal Beach: Surfside Beach at Sea Way.
• Huntington Beach: Bolsa Chica across from the wetlands flood gates.
• Newport Beach: Via Genoa Beach, the beach at 52nd-53rd Streets, Muddy Creek Beach at Crystal Cove.

This is the nonprofit’s 30^th year rating beaches and highlighting the importance of beach quality. We also take water quality very serious which is why we have an Ocean Monitoring Program that continually evaluates the coastal water to ensure the marine life and the public are protected from any possible effects of the treated wastewater.  Nerissa, OCSD’s ocean monitoring vessel, is used to take fish and water samples from 11 miles of coastline and 35 square miles of ocean. Weekly samples are also collected from 38 stations along 21 miles of Orange County beaches to ensure public and environmental health for beachgoers and marine life.

Learn more about our Ocean Monitoring Program.

To read the full report visit the Heal the Bay website.