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.
2024 marked EDC’s 12th annual creek cleanup season. We conducted six creek clean-ups throughout the Goleta Valley, 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.
EDC REPORTS
- Evaluating the Efficacy of Restoration Projects for Mitigation: An Assessment of Private Riparian Revegetation Projects in Santa Barbara County– June 2024
- Mission Canyon Watershed Health and Fire Safety Recommendations – September 2023
- Goleta’s Creeks & Watersheds: Opportunities for Enhancement and Restoration – 2022 Addendum
- Goleta Watershed and Wildland-Urban Interfaces: Enhancing Fire Safety and Riparian Forest Health
- San Jose Creek Flood Control Revegetation Sites and Los Carneros Mitigation Bank: Review and Recommendations