Lower Refugio Creek Restoration

This project enhanced wildlife habitat along one and one-half miles of Lower Refugio Creek by removing invasive plant species, stabilizing 1,300 linear feet of eroding creek bed and revegetating 17,000 square feet of the riparian corridor. The project worked to remove over 87,000 square feet of Giant reed (Arundo donax) in Lower Refugio Creek with … Continued

Arroyo Hondo Ranch Acquisition

This project acquired 778 acres of riparian and grassland habitat along Arroyo Hondo Creek on the Gaviota Coast. Extending from the top of the Santa Ynez Mountains in the Los Padres National Forest down to the ocean, Rancho Arroyo Hondo’s natural resources are extraordinary. Along with the biological resources, the cultural, historical, recreational, and scenic … Continued

Arroyo Hondo Creek Steelhead Passage Enhancement

The Conservancy provided a grant of $650,000 to the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County to improve fish passage for steelhead in Arroyo Hondo Creek. The creek presents one of the best opportunities for enhancing steelhead habitat in southern Santa Barbara County. Most of the creek is in near pristine condition with good water quality … Continued

Arroyo Burro Watershed Enhancement Project

The Santa Barbara County Weed Management Area (SBCWMA) worked to remove pampas grass, Cortaderia selloana, from Elings Park, along the right-of-way on Las Positas Road at Portesuello Road, and along Cliff Drive adjacent to Elings Park. The removal of pampas grass will protect and enhance coastal natural habitat, increase native plant habitat and increase coastal … Continued

Goleta Stream Team

Creek Watchers Stream Team recruited community volunteers, educated them about local watershed issues, and trained them to collect water quality data in two major Santa Barbara County watersheds, the Goleta Slough Watershed and the Arroyo Burro Creek Watershed.

Upper Devereux Slough Restoration Implementation

The project is part of a coordinated effort to protect and restore 650 acres of contiguous coastal habitat (known as the Ellwood-Devereux Open Space) in perpetuity. The project area totals 136 acres, including the 68.3 acre South Parcel, 64 acre Ocean Meadows golf course, and 3.7 acre Whittier parcel. Restoration of the slough will result … Continued

Mission Canyon Cape Ivy Eradication Project

This project will eliminate infestations of Cape Ivy, Kikuyu Grass, and other non-native plants that have established near the terminus of the Santa Barbara water tunnel in upper Mission Canyon, through several rounds of manual weeding over the course of two years. The Santa Barbara Urban Creeks Council will reach out to their mailing list … Continued

UCSB Campus Lagoon Salt Marsh Restoration

This project integrates restoration and access projects along the NE shoreline of Campus Lagoon by restoring a 1000 foot (3/4 acre) strip of iceplant to saltmarsh and coastal sage scrub. UCSB will collaborate with REEF to provide improved access to educational view points and sample collection areas, as well as incorporating restoration activities into its … Continued

Refugio Creek Mouth Restoration Project

This project will remove invasive non-native flora and install native flora along the banks at the mouth of Refugio Creek on State Parks property through the use of volunteers.

Devereux Slough Margin Enhancement

This project will complete a long-term goal of the Coal Oil Point Reserve, to remove ice plant completely from the margins of Devereux Slough.  New Zealand spinach infestations have been removed several times; however, the seedbank remains active and follow-up monitoring is planned by the COPR staff and future volunteers. The combination of volunteers and … Continued

Goleta Slough Urban Interface Restoration

This project involved students and volunteers in the hands-on restoration of a 5-acre portion of Goleta Slough, providing practical educational workshops. The restoration helped reverse wetland degradation and symptoms of urban development through weed removal and revegetation, enhanced the rare species plant population within the airport property, and banked wetland habitat against the possibility of … Continued