UNHEALTHY WATERWAYS VS

THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS CLOSED SIX AREA WATERWAYS THIS WEEK, DUE TO UNSAFE BACTERIA LEVELS. AS USUAL AFTER STORMS, THE DEPARTMENT FOUND HIGH BACTERIA LEVELS, AND CLOSED THE MOUTH OF VARIOUS RIVERS THAT SPILL INTO THE OCEAN. THOSE AFFECTED ARE APTOS CREEK AT RIO DEL MAR BEACH, THE SOQUEL CREEK MOUTH AT CAPITOLA BEACH, THE SAN LORENZO RIVER MOUTH, PORTER GULCH CREEK AT NEW BRIGHTON BEACH, SCHWAN LAGOON AT TWIN LAKES BEACH, AND NEARY LAGOON AT COWELL BEACH. HIGH LEVELS OF COLIFORM BACTERIA WERE FOUND IN THOSE AREAS, WHICH ARE A DANGER TO HUMANS. THERE IS A PROVEN DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WATER-RELATED ILLNESS IN PEOPLE, AND HIGH LEVELS OF THE BACTERIA .