Two more areas of harbor and a stretch of state beach posted

Paul Clinton

For the second week in a row the Orange County Health Care Agency

posted warnings at two locations in Huntington Harbour after discovering

heightened bacteria levels.

The Admiralty Drive Channel and Huntington Marina Channel were both

affected by the postings, which were announced on April 25.

That makes four postings and two closures in Huntington Harbour this

month alone.

The agency also announced it had posted warning signs at a familiar

hot spot on Huntington State Beach. The stretch of sand 150 feet up coast

from the Santa Ana River was hit with signs on Sunday.

In one of the areas of the harbor that was posted, the bacteria was

found in a small channel heading south from the center of Huntington

Harbor at Admirality Drive, near Pacific Coast Highway.

The other harbor posting was in the marina near Warner Avenue.

Swimmers and divers are warned to stay out of the water when a section

of the harbor is posted to avoid health risks.

The bacteria is present in urban runoff, which is usually funneled

into the harbor via the Bolsa Chica Channel or the East Garden Grove

Wintersburg Channel.

However, in these two cases, Health Care Agency spokeswoman Monica

Mazur said those channels weren’t a factor. Mazur said the bacteria was

only localized to those two areas.

The water contains pesticides, metals and other pollution. Health-care

officials have also surmised that the runoff contains animal and human

waste.

The agency posts the areas that register with higher-than-acceptable

bacteria until testing shows they have returned to safer levels.

The rainfall after the postings could lead to extended time periods

for the signage, Mazur said, because rain tends to wash more gunk down

the channels.

“If there is any effect from the rain, the postings may be extended,”

Mazur said. “The signs would just stay up.”

The agency crossed the harbor marina posting off its list on Sunday,

when testing showed that bacteria levels had fallen to acceptable levels.