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<title>My Water Quality - Safe to Swim</title>
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      <th width="80%" valign="bottom"><h1 align="left">Can I Swim at My Coastal Beach?</h1></th>
      <th width="20%"><img src="../../images/homepage/beach.gif" alt="Swimming on the beach" width="147" height="75" align="right" /></th>
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  <p>The vast majority of the time, California's waters are open and available for recreation uses visitors enjoy. Unfortunately, there are times when it is not advisable to go in the waters due to bacterial contamination.</p>
  <ul>
    <li><a href="../advisories/">County Health Agency Ocean Beach Closures and Postings</a><br />
      County health agency websites and contact information <strong>provide the most immediate information</strong> on ocean beach postings and closures.
      <ul>
        <li>Postings - Warnings to avoid contact with the water; monitoring shows bacteria levels exceed standards.</li>
        <li>Closures - Prohibitions on uses of water. Imminent  public health threats, such as sewage spills.<br />
          <br />
        </li>
      </ul>
    </li>
    <li><img src="../../images/logos/beach_reportcard.gif" alt="Beach Report Card logo" width="114" height="47" hspace="10" vspace="10" align="right" /><a href="http://brc.healthebay.org/?st=CA&amp;f=1" target="_blank">Heal the Bay Ocean Beach Report Card</a><br />
      A third party rating system that evaluates the water quality of individual California beaches, <strong>based on the previous 4 weeks of monitoring data</strong>.  The same monitoring data are submitted to the State Water Resources Control Board from county health agencies.  Heal the Bay's  report cards are updated weekly.  Report card grades are based on the <a href="../laws_regulations/">State's water quality standards for recreational waters</a>. Click on a county and then on a specific beach to view information about that beach.<em> Not a state-affiliated website.</em><br />
      <br />
    </li>
    <li><a href="https://www.theswimguide.org/#33.29935939224717/-126.23579663281254/39.30544269535939/-114.84297436718754/7" target="_blank">Waterkeeper Swim Guide</a><img src="../../images/logos/waterkeeper_alliance_logo.png" alt="Waterkeeper Alliance logo" width="140" height="44" hspace="10" vspace="10" align="right" />
      <ul>
        <li>Discover a wide variety  of beaches, ranging from city parks to remote lakes ideal for camping </li>
        <li>Identify at a glance  which beaches are clean for swimming (Green) and which have water quality  problems (Red) – updated almost daily </li>
        <li>Get walking, driving,  or transit directions to the beach of your choice </li>
        <li>Bookmark beaches for  easy access </li>
        <li>Share your love for the  best swimming holes on social media </li>
        <li>Help protect your  waterway by reporting pollution or environmental concerns </li>
        <li>Not  a state-affiliated website <br />
          <br />
        </li>
      </ul>
    </li>
    <li> Assessments for Freshwater Lakes and Streams<br />
      Currently, few agencies and organizations provide such assessments electronically. Contact your local park, concessionaire, or <a href="../advisories/">county health agency</a> for more information. </li>
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  <p>&nbsp;</p>
  <p>(updated 
    <!-- #BeginDate format:Am2 -->1/9/15<!-- #EndDate --> 
    ) </p>
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