See the BLUE line coming north out of Mexico? That is the Tijauna River, where Tijuana DUMPS THEIR SEWAGE!
Posted on 07/05/2007 4:01:26 PM PDT by television is just wrong
IMPERIAL BEACH – Imperial Beach has been named the second best place in the country to build a sandcastle and one of the nation's “Death Beaches.” These vastly different views of the most southwesterly city in the continental United States were published within a month of each other.
Coastal Living magazine, in its August issue, advises readers to “see the winning, ephemeral works of art before they wash away” but Forbes magazine warns that “these waters, and their bacteria, can literally make you sick.”
Forbes highlighted Imperial Beach in an article in its July “Death Beaches” issue, citing the poor water quality.
The magazine quotes a Heal the Bay survey: “With more Fs on their report cards than a pair of high school dropouts, Doheny Beach in Orange County, and Imperial Beach in San Diego County, tied for worst-water quality in California.”
Coastal Living highlighted the city's popular U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition, which draws hundreds of thousands of people. This year's event is July 28 and 29.
“The sun and the competition heat up the beach as sandcastle masters design one-of-a-kind works of art,” the magazine stated.
Forbes acknowledges that not all of the beaches it named are necessarily deadly. However, it said some, “such as beaches plagued by pollution, can cause stomach illnesses or asthma problems.”
Mayor Jim Janney said he is “very happy” to hear that Coastal Living named Imperial Beach's sand castle contest among the top 10, but he was dismayed that Forbes decided to focus on the negative portion of the Heal the Bay report.
Janney said the stretches of beach where the majority of water enthusiasts visit, between South Seacoast Drive and Carnation Avenue, were not closed as much as southern stretches near the Tijuana Sloughs. Those are “unfortunately at the end of a major watershed that begins in a foreign country,” he said.
The mayor insisted that most locals understand the situation, but not “those people at Forbes who are stuck somewhere in New York.”
The beaches south in Mexico were nicer that Imperial beach when I lived there. IB always was a crap beach IMHO
I was in San Diego for my second visit this spring. First visit was 9 years ago. My first impression was of a very nice, clean, family friendly town. This time it was sort of smelly, dirty, beaches did not look inviting but it could have been the time of year or the tide or any number of things.
I’m not suprised. California is in a huge race to remodel rebuild homes, schools office buildings, and it makes me wonder when if this place does turn to the govt of Mexico, under Mexican law all Americans not of Latino heritage cannot own land......
“Imperial Beach in San Diego County made the list this year because of sewer spills in Tijuana, Mexico. Ocean currents bring the pollution north to the southernmost U.S. beach.”
—Forbes
Really? I seriously doubt that my Ecuadorian girlfriend can buy land down there either. You need a JV to own beachfront property, regardless of ethnicity, in Mexico.
Be careful if you let your dogs, yourself, kids, etc swim in lake or ponds with blooming algae. This is a death sentence.
you mean,...illegal pollution.
I’d disagree with the comment that the beaches just South of the border are cleaner.
Every time we went there, as far down as Puerto Nuevo, or Rosarito, the beach had all kinds of litter and broken bottles all over. Well, so did Malibu for that matter.
“The mayor insisted that most locals understand the situation, but not “those people at Forbes who are stuck somewhere in New York.”
exactly, mayor, NY should worry about their own water. sheesh!
I've had the misfortune of surfing Doheny once and will NEVER surf there again. I couldn't believe how sick I became after spending a few hours in the water there.
A day or two later I checked the water quality and discovered the bacteria count was off the chart. Nasty. It took me weeks to recover from the sore throat, cough and congestion.
I was thinking the same thing!
Calafia!
See the BLUE line coming north out of Mexico? That is the Tijauna River, where Tijuana DUMPS THEIR SEWAGE!
Coronad Beach in San Diego has been named one of the 10 best beaches in the U.S.
La Jolla is tops, and I could list more.
I don’t know where you were.
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