A group of local residents, farmers and business owners who live or work in the watershed are exploring how Arroyo Burro can once again become healthy and vibrant. As part of a one-year project facilitated by CEC and funded by the Wendy P. McCaw Foundation, the group is learning what is causing problems such as pollution, erosion, and loss of native plants and animals.

Residents who have been involved with the year-long project have developed a long-term vision for improving the health of the watershed, as well as a list of guiding principles for how that vision should be implemented. Download a PDF of the draft vision plan here.

The group held a public meeting in October 2003 to gather input from residents and businesses in the watershed. Over 120 people attended that meeting. At a second public meeting on Tuesday, March 23, the group shared its "top 10 recommended action steps," such as forming an ongoing watchdog group, Friends of the Arroyo Burro Watershed, and creating a mountain-to-sea route within the watershed. The group also recommends making the creek more natural in commercial areas so it becomes more of an amenity — similar to a creek running through downtown San Luis Obispo.

The group's vision promotes the use of simple solutions to pollution problems, e.g., identifying and controlling sources of pollution, implementing best management practices for reducing stormwater runoff, restoring the creek with native riparian plants, etc., before implementing complex, technical solutions such as end-of-pipe UV treatment systems.

The group has distributed its draft document to homeowners' associations in the watershed. They will be presenting their final document to the Santa Barbara Creeks Advisory Committee, the Santa Barbara City Council and the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors in late summer.

If you live or work in the Arroyo Burro watershed, please take a moment to tell us what you'd like to see done. Download and fill out our survey, then fax it to us at (805) 962-9080. You can also mail it to CEC, attn: Katie Deleuw, 26 W. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. For more information about this project, call us at 963-0583 ext. 116 or email us.