LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. — The county Department of Public Health’s October 28, 2026 beach-water notice warned against swimming, surfing or playing in the water at eight specified coastal areas because recent bacterial test results exceeded California health standards. The notice is a water-contact warning, not a blanket closure of every beach.

Eight locations named in the October 28 notice

  • Dockweiler State Beach: within 100 yards on either side of Ballona Creek near Lifeguard Tower 40.
  • Mother’s Beach, Marina del Rey: the entire designated swimming area.
  • Topanga Canyon Beach, Malibu: 100 yards on either side of the lagoon.
  • Will Rogers State Beach: 100 yards on either side of Santa Monica Canyon Creek near Tower 18.
  • Santa Monica Pier: 100 yards on either side of the pier.
  • Santa Monica Beach at Ashland Avenue: 100 yards on either side of the storm drain near South Tower 28.
  • Surfrider Beach, Malibu: 100 yards on either side of Malibu Point near Tower 3.
  • Avalon Beach, Catalina Island: the full swim area west of the Green Pleasure Pier.

These are specific sampling locations, not a claim that all waters off Santa Monica, Malibu or Catalina Island are unsafe. The county says high bacteria levels can increase the risk of illness from ocean-water contact.

Check again before entering the water

Beach advisories can change when new samples are collected. The county’s live beach-water information page provides current testing information, and the recorded hotline at 1-800-525-5662 is updated as conditions change. Signs at the beach are also important. The county reported that a separate countywide rain-related water advisory ended October 26; that did not automatically cancel site-specific bacterial warnings.

For the precise list and distances, consult the October 28 public-health release. Beach visitors should check the current map rather than treating this dated article as a real-time clearance.

Source: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, October 28, 2026; county beach-water status page checked October 29. This report concerns a dated public-health advisory, not a new beach closure.

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