Announcements

New Study: Investing in Stormwater Controls Pays Off

A new study shows a direct correlation between the installation of stormwater controls and increased beach attendance at 26 Los Angeles beaches.  About 80 percent of beach closures in Santa Monica are due to the discharge of polluted runoff onto the beach and in the surf zone.  The study analyzed whether improving coastal water quality through permitting had an effect on beach recreation, and concluded that stormwater controls increased beach attendance by 350,000 to 860,000 people annually. Researchers found that “cost has many municipalities opposed to installing storm drain diversion systems, but the data showed these investments pay off."  California’s ocean economy generates more than $40 billion annually; tourism and recreation sectors account for 76 percent of all coastal employment.  It is crucial to California’s economy that municipalities continue to implement effective stormwater controls to reduce polluted runoff.

California Coastkeeper Alliance’s Polluted Runoff Campaign aims to address polluted runoff-- the single greatest source of contamination to California’s waters.  CCKA and its network of California Waterkeepers ensure that stormwater permits measurably reduce runoff to California waterways, and require low impact development practices that slow and sink stormwater flow and create local, low-energy water supplies.  For example, our local Los Angeles Waterkeeper fights to keep polluted stormwater from reaching L.A. waterways through water quality monitoring, and Clean Water litigation to bring L.A. County’s most egregious polluters into compliance.

Learn more. 

Summer Trash Influx Highlights Need for Statewide Trash Policy

Summer times means travel and leisure for many Californians to the nearest beach, park or swimming hole. California's summer months also translates into an influx of litter, adding to the already alarming rate of trash accumulating in California’s waters and on its beaches. During last year’s Coastal Cleanup Day, Californians removed more than 600,000 pounds of trash from the state’s coastline. Once in the water, trash breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, polluting the water and harming marine animals that mistake it for food. 

To date, California has no statewide guidance on how local governments should reduce the amount of trash that flows into its waters. CCKA serves on a public advisory group to inform the State Water Board’s development of a statewide trash policy. The trash policy is expected to declare a goal of no trash present in the state’s ocean waters and enclosed bays, estuaries or inland surface waters. Local governments will choose from a variety of strategies to comply with the policy, including trash-catching devices on storm drains, street sweeping, education and local bans on items like single-use bags and polystyrene food containers. The statewide policy would complement the suite of source-reduction bills currently before the California Legislature, as well as local initiatives to reduce trash. The policy is expected to be shared with the public this summer.  

Questions about the statewide Trash Policy? Read the official agency summary or CCKA’s quick overview.

Learn more.

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