Santa Barbara creeks staff win committee backing for FY26 water-quality research and monitoring plan

At its Aug. 20, 2025 meeting, the Creeks Restoration and Water Quality Improvements Citizens Advisory Committee of the City of Santa Barbara voted to support staff’s proposed fiscal year 2026 water-quality research and monitoring plan.

The plan, presented by Creeks Division staff, funds required monitoring tied to permits and grants, advances microbial source tracking (MST) capacity, continues long-term sampling and special studies (including investigation of foam observed in the Arroyo Burro estuary), and supports a multiyear microplastics study of street-sweeper effectiveness.

Committee member Laurie Gaskin, filling in as chair, said staff’s proposal is adaptive and draws on input from city staff, scientists, the Water Board and residents. “The purpose of our research plan is to develop strategies for water quality improvement,” she said.

Why it matters: the plan supports the city’s obligations under its stormwater permit and provides additional data to the regional water board’s 303(d) impaired waters assessments. Staff said additional sampling can clarify whether some listings were based on limited data and help prioritize projects to reduce pollutant loads.

Ke…