Yuck

Dirtiest Beaches in America: Indiana to Maine, Florida to California

The Daily Beast finds the dirtiest beaches in America, from Maine to Florida to California.

Clockwise from top left: Flickr; AP; Getty; AP

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-teaser_ywvdrp — With summer officially here, it’s time to grab some blankets, a good book, and a pair of flip-flops and head to the beach. But as anyone who has ever hit the water in or near a metropolitan area knows, water quality can be a major concern. If the waves are full of debris and toxins, that can mean a long, hot day on the sand with no chance to cool off. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, as many as 3.5 million people get sick every year from contact with raw sewage from overflows. Dangers related to exposure to polluted beach water include stomach flu, pinkeye, skin rashes, meningitis, and hepatitis.

Using new data from the Natural Resources Defense Council, The Daily Beast wanted to find out which beaches to avoid this summer. To find America’s Dirtiest Beaches, we referred to the NRDC’s ratings for 200 of the country’s most popular beaches. Beaches were considered as listed by the NRDC, so data from more than one monitoring station for a single beach were averaged to give each beach a single star rating and percentage of water samples exceeding national standards. All beaches with less than two stars were ranked based on the percentage of water samples exceeding national standards. For full explanation of stars and data compilation, see NRDC’s complete ratings here.
Clockwise from top left: Flickr; AP; Getty; AP

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-20-arcadia_ld1qe4 — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 5.4%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 3.3%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 1.2%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: yes
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: no
Mary Ann Chastain / AP Photo

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-surf-city-north-carolina_sgf1kb — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 5.7%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 0%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 0%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: no
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: yes
rachelfordjames / Flickr

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-indiana-dunes-national-lakeshore-west_sr0kgx — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 6.3%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 6.7%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 0%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: no
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: yes

wikipedia

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-silver-beach-mi_snhfc4 — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 6.7%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 2.6%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 2.2%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: yes
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: no
lapstrake / Flickr

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-siesta-key-public-beach_wr1rij — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 7.1%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 3.8%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 1.9%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: yes
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: no
shineshower / Flickr

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-north-beach-park-mi_zxubqn — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 7.1%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 6.7%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 2.4%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: yes
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: no
google

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-owen-beach-washington_uthfvc — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 7.1%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 7.3%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 0%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: yes
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: no
pfly / Flickr

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-st-joe-florida_xojhmf — Stars: 1.7

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 7.6%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 9.8%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 9.0%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: yes
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: no
judybaxter / Flickr

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-surfside-beach-south-carolina_i9dfbc — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 7.8%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 11.1%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 10.2%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: yes
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: no
Town of Surfside Beach / Facebook

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-tampa-bays-florida_sj2hml — Stars: 1.3

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 8.7%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 7.4%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 5.8%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: yes
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: no
captkodak / Flickr

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-myrtle-beach-state-park_vodwdv — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 10.2%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 15.2%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 14.9%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: yes
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: no
southcarolinaparks.com

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-10-ogunquit-beach_tclxhi — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 12.5%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 0%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 11.8%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: yes
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: no
Winslow Townson / AP Photo

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-9-indiana-dunes_vwdyrb — Stars: 1.75

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 14.9%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 6.6%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 5.4%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: no
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: yes
anneh632 , Creative Commons / Flickr

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-8-courthouse-road_e47wyi — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 15.8%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 20.5%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 19.7%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: yes
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: no
Drew Tarter, Biloxi Sun Herald / Getty Images

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-7-mckinley_morhv3 — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 16.7%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 30.8%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 15.0%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: yes
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: no
indykethdy , Creative Commons / Flickr

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-6-imperial-beach_tzg0ji — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 16.9%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 8.4%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 9.1%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: yes
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: no
Denis Poroy / AP Photo

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-5-warren-dunes_vzmqll — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 18.8%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 33.3%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 18.8%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: yes
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: no
Shawano Cleary / AP Photo

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-3-hamlin_wgkhqp — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 22.6%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 6.7%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 27.5%
Frequency of water monitoring: four times a week
Closings and advisories posted?: no
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: no
hullz , Creative Commons / Flickr

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-2-indiana-dunes-porter-beach_qdrjpc — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 23.8%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 6.7%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 6.3%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: no
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: yes

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-1-pere-marquette_n2rdt1 — Stars: 1

Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2011: 38.1%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2010: 40.0%
Percent of samples exceeding national standards, 2009: 32.3%
Frequency of water monitoring: once a week
Closings and advisories posted?: yes
Closings and advisories posted promptly?: no
Plounsburg , Creative Commons / Flickr

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