California has some of the most popular beaches in the country. Over 150 million day visits are generated by tourists and residents to swim, wade, surf, and dive. Beach visitors spend over $10 billion each year in California. The vast majority of the time, California beaches are open and available for recreation. Unfortunately, there are times when it is not advisable to go in the coastal waters due to bacterial contamination. Postings are advisories to not contact the water because monitoring shows elevated bacterial levels. Closures are water contact prohibitions due to sewage spills. This measure represents the availability of California’s beaches.