‘Baby Beach’ Opens After Shutdown

The small stretch of sand known as “Baby Beach” reopened Tuesday, ending what county health officials called the most “intensely investigated” environmental coastal problem in recent years.

The area of Dana Point Harbor, popular with parents because its beach is sheltered from rough surf, was closed last August after it was found to be contaminated with high levels of coliform bacteria in the water.

County workers then began an investigation.

“This was the most intensely investigated problem we’ve had in [county] coastal waters because we couldn’t find a single source,” said Larry Paul, manager of the county’s coastal facilities. “We had to determine what caused this through a process of elimination.”

Health officials still don’t know what caused the bacteria. However, Larry Honeybourne, a county Health Care Agency spokesman, said they suspect that bird droppings and storm drain discharge are responsible. Human waste was ruled out, he said.

As a result of the findings, the county has recommended more street sweeping and animal excrement cleanups in the area.

Also, the county will spend $3,000 for a bird control program that includes educating the public with warning signs against feeding a growing population of pigeons and other birds at the harbor’s pier, use of a nontoxic sticky substance to ward off birds, and also use of netting to protect areas beneath the pier.

As a precaution, officials also recommended excavating a septic-tank system abandoned in the 1950s, and having Harbor Patrol remind boaters they cannot discharge in the harbor.