In a recent article published by USA Today, the five dirtiest beaches in each state were listed. The five dirtiest beaches in the state of Texas are all in Corpus Christi according to the report.
This term "dirtiest" is not referring to the amount of garbage that is on the beach but rather the amount of bacteria and fecal matter in the water. The bacteria is found naturally growing in the water but another prominent reason is when storm water is sent into the bays.
Storm water can pick up different bacterias or fecal matter on its way into the storm drains and those storm drains dump the water. The high volume of storm water can have a direct impact on the level of bacteria in the water.
KRIS 6 News reached out to Texas Beach Watch, a state regulatory group and they told us that they advise people to avoid contact with any water for at least 48-72 hours after a storm.
But the main reason for the five beaches being in Corpus Christi is due to its proximity to the urban area that is downtown.
Gabe Ramirez, the assistant director of water quality and treatment for the city, says they have taken steps to reduce the levels of bacteria and fecal matter in the water by setting up storm drain baskets at each inlet. Other than that he tells us it is important to pick up trash and other garbage to reduce the risk it being swept into the storm drain system.
The five local locations included three locations at Cole Park and others at Ropes Park and Poenisch Park.
You can find the entire USA Today article here.
