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.

2026 marks EDC’s 14th annual creek cleanup season and we will conduct six cleanups in the Goleta Watershed. In 2025, our team hosted six creek clean-ups removing trash that threatens local wildlife and pollutes our clean streams and ocean waters. We had 140 volunteers join us and more than 9,500 pounds of trash and recycleables were removed from a number of creeks in the Goleta Watershed. Check out our report from the 2025 season.

2026 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 and run until 12/noon. Please RSVP by email to Brian.

August 8: San Jose Creek and Old San Jose Creek
Partners: Goleta City, SBCK, Goleta Old Town Neighborhood Creek Project
September 19: Devereux Creek
Meeting location: Phelps Road at Cannon Green Drive
Partners: City of Goleta, Explore Ecology visa vi CCC Coastal Cleanup Day
CREEK WEEK ACTIVITY
September 24: Tour of San Jose Creek with EDC’s Brian Trautwein and partners
Meeting location: Jonny Wallis Park
Partners: City of Goleta, Santa Barbara County, Goleta Old Town Neighborhood Creek Project
Open to the public. All ages welcome.
October 10: San Pedro and Las Vegas
Meeting location: Twin Lakes Golf Course parking lot/ TBD
Partners: City of Goleta, Goleta Old Town Neighborhood Creek Project
October 24: Maria Ygnacio and San Antonio
Meeting location: Matorral Way at Ribera Drive
Partners: SB County Project Clean Water, SBCK, Chumash Bear Circle
November 7: Atascadero & Cieneguitas
Meeting location: So. Turnpike Ave dead-end (Turnpike at Ukiah St.)
Partners: SB County Project Clean Water, Chumash Bear Circle

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