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

Yuck

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

galleries/2012/06/30/dirtiest-beaches-in-america-indiana-to-maine-florida-to-california/dirtiest-beaches-teaser_u8idpo
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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