SOUNDING OFF:

By coming to erroneous conclusions, Don Schulz and the Surfrider Foundation have done the restoration of the Bolsa Chica wetland and Bolsa Chica State Beach an injustice by their inference that the Bolsa Chica tidal inlet is somehow a threat to swimmers’ health, when in fact county records clearly show that since the inlet opened, the beach has continued to be one of the cleanest beaches in the region.

As Schulz correctly reports (“No warnings posted for contaminated water,” Dec. 6), for over a year the Bolsa Chica Conservancy has been taking samples of the water at the Pacific Coast Highway Bridge that spans the Bolsa Chica tidal inlet.

The bridge is located about 100 yards inland from the surf. Schulz refers to state bacteriological standards known as AB411, which are intended to apply to recreational waters only. Since people don’t swim at the bridge, Schulz’ reference to AB411 standards at the bridge is inappropriate and misleading.

While we did detect some high counts of Enterococcus at the bridge, most of the high counts were from samples taken on an incoming tide. That is, the source of the bacteria appeared to be the surf. For the other two indicators, total coliforms and E. coli, the counts were consistently low and in many instances they approached undetectability.

Schulz fails to mention that the county has been sampling the surf at two sites close to the inlet (known as sites BCN and BCS) twice a week for more than a year prior to the opening of the inlet and since it opened.

These sites, where AB411 standards are appropriate, are considerably closer to the inlet than 27N and 33N, the sites Schulz refers to.

Enterococcus levels at sites BCN and BCS after the inlet opened actually appeared to be lower than those before it opened. The average Enterococcus level during the year before the inlet opened was 18.5 MPN/100 mL with 6 Enterococcus exceedances. Since it has opened, the average level is 11.6 MPN/100 mL (The AB411 limit is 104) with one exceedance.

In addition, the Heal the Bay beach report card shows higher grades for Bolsa Chica State Beach after the inlet opened than before.

Thus we are certain our statement that there is no significant impact from the newly restored Bolsa Chica inlet on the bacteriological water quality at Bolsa Chica State Beach is correct.

DAVID CARLBERG is a member of the Bolsa Chica Conservancy