Watershed Preservation and Restoration

Goal: To safeguard our coast’s clean water and wildlife habitats by preserving and restoring creeks, rivers, wetlands and the lands that surround them
Year Started: 1983
Partner: Watershed Alliance of South Coast Organizations

Our region’s creeks and rivers represent ecological lifelines for humans and wildlife, connecting our mountains, forests, and coastline. A critical part of EDC’s work protecting wildlife and human health is safeguarding and restoring our watersheds, which are the essential link between our terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

Healthy watersheds are critical to provide habitat for fish and wildlife, and clean water for our local communities. Working closely with landowners and local and state agencies, EDC serves as a community resource and watchdog, helping ensure that our creeks flow free and clean. Whether we are responding to clearing of habitat critical for wildlife such as the tidewater goby or the red-legged frog, or to unauthorized water diversions causing the stream to go dry, or partnering on extraordinary projects such as the Mission Creek Steelhead Recovery project, EDC stands strong as the voice for these ecological resources.

“EDC leads the way on creek protection and restoration in Goleta, spearheading efforts to cleanup, preserve and rehabilitate neighborhood streams”

– Paula Perotte, Goleta Mayor

EDC also represents and partners with other organizations to ensure that agencies protect and improve water quality and wildlife habitat in our region’s watersheds.

2025 marks EDC’s 13th annual creek cleanup season and we will conduct six cleanups in the Goleta Watershed. In 2024, our team hosted six creek clean-ups removing trash that threatens local wildlife and pollutes our clean streams and ocean waters. We had 105 volunteers join us and more than 7,000 pounds of trash was removed from a number of creeks in the Goleta Watershed.

2025 Creek Clean-up Dates:

Volunteers help make this work possible. Please mark your calendar to join us on the following days. All clean-ups will begin at the meeting location at 9:00AM. Please RSVP by email to Brian.

September 6: Devereux/El Enganto/Phelps Creeks – meet at Phelps Road and Cannon Green Drive
September 20: San Pedro/Las Vegas Creeks – meet at Covington Footbridge (6200 block of Covington Way)
October 4: Glen Annie/Tecolotito Creeks – meet at Del Norte Drive and Glen Annie Road
October 18: San Jose Creek – meet at Berkeley footbridge (Berkeley Road at Merida Drive)
November 1: Atascadero/Cieneguitas Creeks – meet at Turnpike South Dead-end
November 15: Maria Ygnacio/San Antonio Creeks – meet at Matorral Way and Ribera Drive

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