Stormwater is the number one contributor to ocean pollution in southern California. Unfortunately, storms rarely coincide with our regular Stream Team monitoring, so we rarely see the immediate impacts of heavy storm runoff in our data.

Channelkeeper conducts targeted stormwater monitoring of projects or facilities that have the potential to significantly impact the environment. Our stormwater monitoring efforts have resulted in the cleanup of land contaminated with DDT and other toxic chemicals at the Venoco Oil and Gas Facility. We have also used stormwater monitoring results to enforce state stormwater requirements at construction sites including Caltrans’ Milpas St. to Hot Springs Road Improvement Project on Highway 101.

In February 2004, Channelkeeper conducted its first stormwater sampling project on the Mission Creek watershed in Santa Barbara. The goal of this project was to track Enterococcus bacteria through the watershed during a storm, to determine where the most bacterial pollution enters the creek and to quantify the actual amount of bacteria flushed into the ocean. While the storm turned out to be a rather small one, the number of bacteria we found was astonishing. To download the final report, click here.

Channelkeeper plans to conduct additional stormwater sampling events in the coming winters, as needs arise.  We have also pledged to assist the City of Santa Barbara with their stormwater sampling efforts in the future.