MAKING THE GRADE HEAL THE BAY RELEASES 10TH BEACH REPORT CARD.

Byline: Erik Nelson Staff Writer

Kiddie Beach in Ventura County was rated Southern California's worst beach and Surfrider Beach in Los Angeles County ranked among the bottom 10, according to an annual report released Wednesday by a Santa Monica environmental group.

The two beaches were included in the 10th Annual Beach Report Card by Heal the Bay, which measures water quality at 263 beach locations from Orange to Santa Barbara counties.

The group gave A grades to 174 beaches - including 40 in Ventura County and 56 in Los Angeles County - for very good water quality measured during dry weather in 1999-2000. Failing marks were given to 15 beaches, including seven locally.

Kiddie Beach, in Channel Islands Harbor Park at the edge of Oxnard, earned an F after tests showed fecal bacteria exceeded acceptable standards 71 percent of the time water quality was monitored. Protected by the harbor, the beach's waters are calm and it is frequently used by young children - which officials say might contribute to its contamination.

``I don't argue with their concern,'' said Ventura County Supervisor John Flynn, who explained that the county-run beach had been beset with contamination problems. About a month ago, the county removed a colony of feral cats from the harbor's edge in an effort to cut contamination, but ``we don't know whether that has helped.''

The county and the city of Oxnard are also preparing to do a $110,000 investigation of the source of the contamination, said Jeff Pratt, deputy director of public works, flood control. The county has also rerouted a storm drain near the beach during dry weather to its sewer system, so the water can be treated, he said.

Surfrider Beach, located next to Malibu Pier, was ranked No. 10 on the list. Other Los Angeles County beaches mentioned were Avalon Beach at the Pier on Catalina Island (4) and Cabrillo Beach-harborside in San Pedro (2).

Heal the Bay distinguishes between wet and dry sampling because storm- water runoff during rainy periods flushes many times more contaminants into the ocean.

During wet weather, the huge volume of water draining from the San Fernando Valley and other inland areas helped make Los Angeles County beaches fail more than any other county in the report.

About 75 percent of the 87 Los Angeles County beaches in the report received an F during wet weather, while about 45 percent of Ventura County's 53 beaches flunked on the day of rain or during the three days following rainfall.

During most of the year, when the sun shines and the storm drains are down to a trickle, most beaches scored well on the report card.

Among the best stretches of beaches in Los Angeles County were ``from Leo Carrillo Beach (at the Los Angeles County line) all the way down to Corral Beach (in Malibu),'' said James Alamillo, who runs Heal the Bay's Report Card Program. ``I would have no problem going to any of those beaches.''

South of that stretch is Surfrider Beach, which ranked 10th worst on the ``Beach Bummer'' list.

Another clean string of beaches runs from Santa Monica Beach at San Vicente Boulevard to about 100 yards north of the Santa Monica Pier, Alamillo said.

The point of the report card, Alamillo said, ``is really just to let people know that information exists about water quality and to better protect their own health when going to the beach.''

But the group also hopes to send the message that local governments ``have a long way to go'' in cleaning up storm-water runoff, Alamillo said.

The Los Angeles City Public Works Bureau is building $2.9 million worth of storm-water diversion systems.

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photo, map

Photo: (color) A surfer on Wednesday passes a sign warning of the dangers of swimming where Malibu Lagoon empties into Surfrider Beach.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

Map: Beach report card