Closures, swimming advisories at some N.J. beaches after heavy rain

Monday’s torrential rain that dropped nearly six inches of rain in some New Jersey coastal areas is responsible for numerous beach closures and swimming advisories.

State officials say the closures are due to rain runoff that contains higher than acceptable bacteria counts.

Five beaches in Monmouth County are closed, including:

• L Street river beach in Belmar.
• The Terrace and Beacon Boulevard beaches in Sea Girt due to a gate opened to drain rainfall from the Wreck Pond into the Atlantic Ocean.
• The Brown and York avenue beaches in Spring Lake for Wreck Pond drainage.

17 beaches are under a swimming advisory but remain open:

• Atlantic County: 26th Street bay beach in Brigantine and New Jersey Avenue bay beach in Somers Point.
• Cape May County: Beesley’s Point bay beach in Upper Township.
• Monmouth County: Ocean Park beach in Bradley Beach; Village Beach Club in Loch Arbour; Baltimore Avenue in Sea Girt; and Essex Avenue in Spring Lake.
• Ocean County: New Jersey Avenue bay beach in Long Beach Township; Anglesea and Wildwood river beaches in Ocean Gate; West Beach Avon Road and East Beach Station Avenue in Pine Beach; Maryland and Central beaches in Point Pleasant Beach; Sheridan and Lincoln avenues in Seaside Heights; and Hancock bay beach in Seaside Heights.

The state tests water quality at 35 bay and 180 ocean locations weekly and issues advisories following unacceptable bacteria levels.

Beaches are closed if two consecutive samples collected at a bathing beach exceed the state standard and remain in effect until subsequent sampling indicates bacteria levels are again below the standard.