Beaches Orange County

With the water off Huntington Beach once again cleared for swimmers and surfers, two politicians are calling public hearings over a state law that some blame for keeping much of the oceanfront closed for two months this summer. The law, known as Assembly Bill 411, gives wide discretion to local officials to close beaches at the slightest hint of bad water quality. It was supported by environmentalists.

High bacteria counts have prompted Orange County health officials to post signs advising people to stay out of the water along a 2 1/2-mile stretch of Huntington Beach. The signs--from the mouth of the Santa Ana River to lifeguard tower No. 11--will stay up at least through Thursday, said Larry Honeybourne, program chief of the Orange County Health Care Agency. "Our recommendation is that you don't go swimming there," Honeybourne said.

The origin of hundreds of needles that washed ashore along Huntington Beach last week is still being sought, Orange County's top health officer said Monday. Dr. Hildy Meyers said an environmental health investigator on her staff had spoken with dental companies and determined that the two-pronged hypodermics were of the type used to administer anesthesia. The needles are often recapped on one side while dentists wait to see if more of the drug needs to be administered to the same patient.

Health officials Thursday reopened all but a small stretch of the Huntington Beach surf that has been closed by pollution for much of the summer, leaving anxious city officials and merchants hoping that crowds will return for the upcoming Labor Day weekend. The Orange County Health Care Agency took the action after tests of ocean water over the last week showed a rapid and continuing reduction in bacteria levels.

While its neighbor up the coast loses thousands of beachgoers because of a mysterious contaminant in the water, Newport Beach has seen a surge of beach visitors the last week. Both city officials and business owners report an increase that appears to be due, in part, to the closures in Huntington Beach. Lifeguards reported about 85,000 people at Newport beaches on Saturday and Sunday.

Unless you're lucky enough to live at the beach, you probably have to deal with driving there and parking. Beach parking in the county is about $6 per day. Many cities and some county beaches have metered street parking or lots. At 25 cents every 10-15 minutes, you'd need to bring an extra beach bag full of quarters if you planned to spend the day.