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Costs and Conse One of the first and most persistent consequences of pollution was felt by the once-lucrative shellfish harvest. The bottom-dwelling organisms filter sedi~ menl for nutrients and so are particularly vulnerable to contamination. Of the 326,000 acres of shellfish harvest grounds in the state, only 31 percent are safe. Nearly 50 percent of the areas are closed to harvest and 20 percent are conditionally approved. uences Calculating all of the consequences of nonpoint source pollution is difficult because monitoring is limited and science has not determined all of the cause.and.effect relationships between pollutants and the health of fish, wildlife, domestic animals and humans. Even in those cases where the nexus of harm has been defined, affixing monetary costs can be difficult. FISH AND WILDLIFE Polluted runoff can create both chronic and acute problems for fish and wildlife. Runoff and decom- posing organic matter can rob inland streams of oxygen that fish depend upon. Toxic levels of pesticides can kill insects that fish eat. Some pollutants - including some pesticides, metals such as mercury and elements such as selenium - accumulate as large animals eat smaller ones, until concentrations reach toxic levels. The high concentrations can cause disease, diminish reproduc- tion and threaten human health. While fish kills are a visible effect of pollution, researchers are still examining how much pollution is to blame for diminishing numbers and diversity of species. Long- term biological problems also have long-term economic conse- quences. Fewer fish mean reduced harvests for the state's $500 million commercial fishing industry and the large sportfishing industry. The contamination of fish also is a health concern. Mercury contamination of striped bass, particular large "trophy" bass, has prompted health warnings in San Francisco Bay and the Sacra- mento-San Joaquin Delta. Warn- ings also are posted at Clear Lake, Lake Berryessa, lake Herman and others, where fish are contami- nated with mercury. White croaker caught in Santa Monica Bay are contaminated with DOT. A particu- lar concern is that immigrants, some of whom depend on the fishery for sustenance and may not under- stand the health warnings, frequently catch fish near industrial areas and in agricultural drains. Fish throughout the state are routinely found with traces of pesticides, metals and toxic chemicals, at levels below the standards that trigger health warnings. 'file sTate's repuTation as a natural playground resTs in part on confidence that bel/ches. ril'crs and lakes are cfel/n and safe. 12 RECREATION Tourism in California is a $52 billion-a-year industry, one of the state's most rapidly growing business sectors and responsible for 750,000 jobs. Boating in California is a $600 million-a-year business. Bird watching is a $27-million-a-year business. Many of these jobs are linked to the state's reputation as a natural playground, but that reputation rests in part on confidence that beaches, rivers and lakes are clean and safe. More than 100 million people a year visit state beaches. According to surveys conducted as part of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project, south- ern California beach goers reported reducing their trips to the surt by a total of 20 million times a year out of fear that runoff is contaminating the water. Some of the problem is real - bacteria and patho- gens are washed into the ocean during storms at concentrations that can cause illness. In 1993, there were 1,400 beach closing or swimming advisories in California, mostly due to coliform bacteria in runoff. But the warnings also are scaring would-be swim- mers away from safe beaches. A government study at Clear Lake, once a popular destination resort 90 miles northeast of San Francisco, has documented the economic conse- quences of diminished water quality. The U.S. Geological Survey has calculated that algae blooms, worsened by poor land-use practices and leaking sewage lines upstream of the lake, are responsible for $7 million a year in lost tourist business for lakeside communities. DRINKING WATER As knowledge increases and drinking water quality standards are adjusted to further protect public health, the cost at cleaning up polluted water is increasing. Already, more than $1 billion has been spent by water agencies, mostly in southern California, to upgrade the facilities that treat drinking water diverted from the Delta, primarily to counter-