Residents Advised to Avoid Select LACo Beaches Due to Bacteria

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Amid rising temperatures that will likely have people flocking to the coastline, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has warned residents to avoid swimming, surfing or playing in ocean waters at nine area beaches due to high bacteria levels.

The department's warning, issued Friday, covers:

-- 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.

The department said those locations were found to have bacterial levels exceeding health standards when last tested.

Meanwhile, the department lifted an earlier warning for the Sweetwater Canyon Storm Drain area at Carbon Canyon Beach, with recent samples finding water quality levels within state standards.

Information on beach conditions is available 24 hours a day on the county's beach closure hotline at 1-800- 525-5662. A map of impacted locations and more information is available at PublicHealth.LACounty.gov/Beach/.