Santa Barbara Channelkeeper and the city of Santa Barbara have issued health-status warnings for two local beaches after weekly testing indicated that bacteria levels in the water exceeded one or more health standards.
The affected beaches are Arroyo Burro Beach and East Beach at Mission Creek. On Tuesday, warnings were also issued for Leadbetter Beach and Sands Beach at Coal Oil Point, but the warnings were listed Thursday after additional testing.
Contact with the ocean water may increase risk of illness.
Santa Barbara Channelkeeper and the city have taken on the task of weekly bacteria testing at local beaches during the winter months after funding for county Environmental Health Services to conduct the winter sampling was eliminated.
— Penny Owens represents Santa Barbara Channelkeeper.