On Monday, I was 100% set on going to the beach after I picked my daughter up from school. But on the way to pick her up, I saw the sky turn dark and then the rain started. It quickly turned into a torential downpour with thunder and lightening. My beach day was being thwarted by much needed rain and I was ok with it. BUT... then... about an hour later, the thunderstorm was gone and there was nothing but blue skies!!! BEACH DAY was back on!!!
When we got to the beach, my husband was already in the water along with at least 40 other surfers. Knowing that we had just gotten a pretty substantial rain, I couldn't help but think about all of the stories I've heard about California surfers getting sick because they went surfing after it rained. Like right now, there is a
"Rain Advisory" for LA county beaches. During a rain advisory, it is highly recommended that beach users avoid contact with ocean water! This lasts for 3 days after rainfall ends due to elevated levels of bacteria in the ocean because of storm water runoff.
(yuck) So as I saw all the surfers in the water, I thought about how lucky we are here... and how important beach water quality monitoring is....
Did you know that the EPA is proposing to cut all federal funding for beach water quality monitoring in 2013? Seriously. Funding for the BEACH Act was cut out of the EPA's proposed 2013 budget. That means that water quality monitoring advancements and funding to help states monitor coastal water for our health and safety are now at risk. Take a super quick moment to contact your Senators and urge them to put funding for the BEACH Act back into the budget!
Ok... and in the middle of enjoying the calm after the storm... I cleaned up what little litter there was at the beach :)
20 minutes on March 19, 2012 at Access 38
Cigarette butts: 91
Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 127 days:
42,124
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