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California’s New Bag Ban Takes Effect

January 9, 2026 by Santa Barbara Channelkeeper

What It Means for Our Coast and Communities

January 1, 2026, marks a major milestone in California’s ongoing effort to reduce plastic pollution. A strengthened statewide bag ban has officially gone into effect, closing a loophole in current law that will eliminate most plastic bags at most grocery stores, retail stores with a pharmacy, and liquor stores statewide.

Although California first restricted single-use plastic bags in 2014, thicker “reusable” plastic bags continued to be sold in stores. These ended up discarded as often as traditional bags, contributing to plastic pollution. The updated 2026 bag policy finally closes that loophole and is expected to significantly reduce the amount of plastic entering the environment.

Here in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, plastic pollution directly affects our beaches, ocean life, and the health of our community. Plastic bags can travel from city streets into storm drains, then to rivers and eventually out to the Santa Barbara Channel, where they threaten marine animals through entanglement and ingestion.

Channelkeeper works to stem the tide of plastic pollution to the ocean by advocating for important policy changes, by educating our community about pollution prevention, and by conducting monthly cleanups to remove plastic from the environment.

What’s New in California in 2026:

Full Ban on Plastic Bags at Checkout

Effective January 1, 2026, grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, liquor stores, and other retailers may no longer provide plastic checkout bags, including thicker “reusable” plastics.
Only recycled paper bags may be offered at the point of sale.

Minimum Bag Charge

Stores must charge at least 10¢ for each recycled paper bag, and use that money to cover the cost of providing the bag, complying with the law, and conducting customer education.
Customers are now incentivized to bring and use their own bag.

Paper Bag Standards

The initial requirement allows recycled paper bags now, and by January 1, 2028, these bags must contain at least 50 percent post-consumer recycled content to further lower environmental impact.

What’s Not Banned

Some bags still are permitted in certain scenarios, including:

Bags used inside the store for uncooked produce or food that needs protection (like meat)
Prescription bags from pharmacies
Bags provided before checkout to protect items from damage

These exceptions were set to ensure safety and hygiene while still reducing overall plastic waste.

Local Policy Changes

The City of Santa Barbara is also working on single use plastic policy updates. Proposed changes passed out of the City Council’s sustainability and ordinance committees last year and will be considered before the full council for this year. These policy updates include a ban on selling plastic and Styrofoam (polystyrene) foodware and takeout containers; single-use plastic water bottles smaller than 8 fluid ounces. Mylar balloons and plastic confetti; and the distribution of disposable foodware and cutlery that are not compostable with the city’s existing collection programs.

How You Can Help Protect Our Waterways

California’s statewide bag ban is a big step forward, but meaningful environmental progress depends on everyday choices. Here’s how residents and visitors to Santa Barbara can be part of the solution:

Support Local Policy Change – Voice your support for plastic policy changes at upcoming city council meetings. We will keep you informed of opportunities to engage.

Bring Your Own Reusables – The simplest way to avoid bag fees and waste? Carry your own reusable bags every time you shop.

Make it a Habit – Keep bags in your car, bike basket, or backpack, and encourage friends and family to do the same.

Reduce and Reuse – Recycle paper bags when you’re done with them and choose products with minimal single-use packaging whenever possible.

Join Local Cleanup Efforts – Participate in beach and creek cleanups to help remove plastics that slipped through despite policy shifts.

California’s updated bag ban is more than a regulation; it is symbolic of our state’s commitment to healthier oceans, thriving wildlife, and cleaner communities. The waters of the Santa Barbara Channel define our way of life in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, and this law helps protect our beloved ocean for generations to come.

Celebrating 25 Years!

January 8, 2026 by Santa Barbara Channelkeeper

Santa Barbara Channelkeeper’s Legacy of Environmental Protection, Advocacy, and Hope

This year marks a remarkable milestone for Santa Barbara Channelkeeper—25 years of protecting and restoring the Santa Barbara Channel and its watersheds. Since 2001, when the organization received its official nonprofit status, Channelkeeper has emerged as a driving force for clean water, healthy habitats, and a resilient coast. Throughout 2026, we are thrilled to celebrate the organization’s achievements and highlight the community support that has made our successes possible.

A Quarter Century of Impact

For 25 years, Channelkeeper has been on the front lines of environmental protection along our coast. Through a blend of science-based education, advocacy, fieldwork, enforcement, and community engagement, we have worked to ensure that the Channel remains a thriving home for marine life and a clean, safe resource for everyone who lives, works, and plays here.

Monitoring & Science

From water quality monitoring to cruise ship patrols, and surveys throughout our coastal marine protected areas, Channelkeeper’s boots-on-the-ground (and fins-in-the-water) approach has produced essential data that helps guide local policy and protect public health.

Advocacy & Legal Action

Channelkeeper has never hesitated to stand up for clean water and defend our coast, from holding polluters accountable and challenging oil drilling, to shaping forward-thinking environmental policies that benefit ecosystems and communities alike.

Education & Community Engagement

Through youth education programs, volunteer beach cleanups, community science efforts, and public workshops, Channelkeeper has connected residents and visitors with the natural beauty in our backyard, inspiring the next generation of environmental leaders and empowering tens of thousands of people to become stewards of the coast.

Collaboration

Channelkeeper’s success is rooted in partnership. Over the years, our team has closely workedwith local governments, researchers, fishermen, businesses, and fellow nonprofits to build a healthier future for the region.

The Heart of It All: The Santa Barbara Channel

The Santa Barbara Channel is one of the most biodiverse marine regions in the world. It is home to kelp forests, migrating whales, countless fish species, and vibrant coastal communities. Channelkeeper’s work is a reminder that protecting this extraordinary place requires vigilance, compassion, and sustained effort.

Over 25 years, we have seen how cleaner creeks, safer beaches, restored habitats, and engaged communities create ripple effects, benefiting wildlife, fisheries, tourism, and quality of life for generations to come.

Looking Ahead: The Next 25 Years

As climate challenges grow and our coast faces mounting pressures, Channelkeeper’s work is more urgent than ever. Our organization continues to evolve with innovative monitoring methods, forward-looking advocacy, and new opportunities to bring people into the movement for clean water.

The next chapter will be shaped by:

Expanded efforts to improve climate resilience and habitat health

Experiential education programs connecting students to the natural environment

Heightened legal and policy advocacy for clean watersheds

Increased community engagement and organizational partnerships

And, as always, unwavering dedication to the protection of our beautiful, incredibly biodiverse Channel.

A Thank You to Our Community

Channelkeeper’s 25-year legacy is a testament to everyone who has supported the organization, from volunteers and donors to students, scientists, policymakers, and everyday ocean lovers. This milestone is one we share with you.

Your passion, generosity, and belief in a healthier future have made the last quarter century possible, and will propel the next one.

Here’s to 25 years of stewardship, and to many more ahead!

Whether you’ve been with Channelkeeper since the beginning or are joining the celebration today, thank you for standing up for clean water and a thriving Santa Barbara Channel. Together, we’ll continue to protect the place we all call home.

Watershed Brigade Hits Major Milestone: 50,000 Pounds of Trash Removed from the Environment

June 30, 2025 by Santa Barbara Channelkeeper

From local shorelines to urban streets, volunteers across from across the region have helped the Watershed Brigade reach an inspiring milestone—removing over 50,000 pounds of trash from our environment.

Channelkeeper’s Watershed Brigade, a community-powered initiative focused on tackling pollution and protecting water resources, is celebrating a major victory in its ongoing mission to keep our watersheds clean and healthy. Since its inception in 2020, this community cleanup program has empowered 2,067 volunteers from Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties to take direct action against trash and marine debris. Now, thanks to thousands of hours of service and unwavering community support, the Watershed Brigade has officially surpassed 50,000 pounds of trash collected and removed.

A Hands-On Approach to Change

More than just a cleanup crew, the Watershed Brigade blends environmental action with education and advocacy. Volunteers aren’t just picking up litter—they’re learning about the systems and behaviors that contribute to pollution and working together to create solutions.

“Every cleanup is an opportunity to connect people to their environment,” said program leader Veronica Moran. “Our volunteers see the impact of pollution up close, and they come away empowered to make change—not just on cleanup days, but in their daily lives.”

More Than Just Numbers

The 50,763 pounds of trash collected during the group’s 1,803 cleanups include thousands of plastic bottles, cigarette butts, lobster traps, food wrappers, tires, and other debris that would have otherwise harmed wildlife, contaminated waterways, and degraded public spaces.

This milestone is also a symbol of collective impact, with the program uniting hundreds of volunteers around a shared goal of environmental stewardship.

Education, Advocacy, and Momentum

One of the strengths of the Watershed Brigade lies in its three-pronged approach: volunteerism, education, and advocacy. Events often include workshops or briefings about local water issues, recycling best practices, and policy advocacy efforts. By fostering understanding and action, the program is building a community of informed environmental champions.

And the work is far from over.

“This milestone is just the beginning,” says Moran. “It shows what’s possible when people come together with purpose. With every cleanup, we’re not just removing trash, we’re building a movement.”

Join the Brigade

As the Watershed Brigade looks toward its next 50,000 pounds, the call to action is clear: Get involved. Whether it’s participating in a local cleanup or spreading awareness about the impacts of trash on the environment, there are myriad ways to take action.

To learn more about the Watershed Brigade, find upcoming events, or organize a cleanup, visit sbck.org/brigade or follow @Watershedbrigade on Instagram.

Our next cleanup event takes place on Saturday, July 5th, from 9 am to 11 am at four locations along Santa Barbara’s waterfront. Watershed Brigade volunteers will partner with the City of Santa Barbara’s Waterfront Department to clear these areas of trash resulting from the July 4th holiday. Sign up here.

Watershed Brigade Hosted Cleanups Inspire Awareness and Action

May 21, 2025 by Santa Barbara Channelkeeper

“How long do you think it would take this plastic water bottle to break down?” Veronica Moran, Channelkeeper ‘s all-star program assistant, asks a group of cleanup volunteers.

“Forty years!” a young woman exclaims. “One hundred!” another responds.

“Good guesses! Actually, it’s more like 400 years,” Moran explains, “and these items are never really gone, they just break down into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic. That’s why the work you’re doing to remove trash from the beach is so important!”

Channelkeeper’s Watershed Brigade organizes hosted cleanups for school groups, companies, churches, and organizations. During these events, participants clear a stretch of beach of trash, removing items like cigarette butts, plastic lids, food wrappers, and cans. Once they have cleaned up the area, they weigh the trash they have collected and play the game “How Long Until It’s Gone?” which involves guessing the lifespan of the items they have found.

At hosted cleanups, participants also learn about the land-sea connection and the importance of removing trash from areas throughout the watershed to prevent debris from flowing down stormdrains, creeks, and rivers and into the ocean.

To demonstrate this connection, Moran relates the story of the Ojai Rubbish trash can that Channelkeeper staff removed from Santa Cruz Island last year, after powerful winter storms sent debris down the Ventura River and into the Santa Barbara Channel. Debris like this trash can, she explains, ended up on remote beaches of the Channel Islands, underscoring the importance of trash cleanups on the mainland.

This year, the Watershed Brigade has led eleven hosted cleanups, including the Santa Barbara School of Squash, the Turner Foundation, Camp Towanka, and the National Association of Federal Equity Receivers.

The Watershed Brigade’s hosted events are a positive and productive way for groups to work collaboratively to benefit the environment while also learning about the wonders of the Santa Barbara Channel.

To join the Watershed Brigade, click here or follow us on Instagram (@Watershedbrigade).

A Victory for Our Oceans: Federal Court Rules Against Industrial Fish Farming Permits

November 7, 2024 by Nate Irwin

On September 30, 2024, in a major victory for ocean advocates and coastal communities, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated several key environmental laws when it issued Nationwide Permit 56 (NWP 56) in January of 2021. The court found that the Corps violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Rivers and Harbors Act, and the Administrative Procedures Act by failing to properly assess the impacts of industrial fish farms on marine life, water quality, and habitat.

Santa Barbara Channelkeeper was proud to be one of the plaintiffs in this case, joining forces in 2023 with the Quinault Indian Nation, and nonprofits such as LA Waterkeeper, San Diego Coastkeeper, Don’t Cage Our Oceans Coalition, fishing organizations, and others. Together, we challenged the threat posed by unregulated offshore aquaculture in our shared ocean waters—and the courts ruled in our favor.

“This is a vital victory for the future of our oceans,” said George Kimbrell, legal director for the Center for Food Safety and council for the plaintiffs. “The Court’s decision makes clear that federal regulators cannot ignore the significant risks posed by industrial aquaculture and must rigorously analyze them before moving forward.”

Background and Significance

NWP 56 permitted large-scale fish farming structures in federal waters off the coasts of Alaska, California, Washington, Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Hawaii, and Virginia. These industrial aquaculture operations, which involve placing net pens and cages in open ocean waters, have been criticized for threatening marine ecosystems, traditional fishing economies, and Tribal Nations’ food security. Despite the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ own acknowledgment of the adverse impacts on wildlife and water quality, the agency unlawfully failed to adequately assess these risks when approving the permit.

In its ruling, the court specifically called out the Corps’ failure to connect the “multiple acknowledged adverse impacts” with its conclusion that these impacts would be minimal. The court held that this lack of a “logical bridge” between the risks and the agency’s decision rendered the permit unlawful.

Impacts of Open-Ocean Finfish Aquaculture

Open-ocean finfish aquaculture has been linked to a range of environmental issues, including water pollution, disease transmission, genetic contamination, and habitat degradation. They can also create navigational hazards. Net pens used in aquaculture can severely disrupt delicate ecosystems. These structures can smother benthic habitats and threaten biodiversity. For example, fish farms in the Baltic Sea have degraded local environments, with waste and uneaten feed accumulating on the seafloor, leading to oxygen depletion and loss of species (Hedberg et al., 2018). Around these farms, nutrient levels can spike by up to 500%, contributing to harmful algal blooms and the formation of dead zones (Skarbøvik et al., 2022).

Escaped farmed fish also pose a serious threat to wild populations. In Norway, genetic diversity in wild salmon populations has been reduced by 20% due to interbreeding with escaped farmed fish (Glover et al., 2019). These environmental risks underscore the critical need for strong safeguards to prevent the unchecked expansion of open-ocean finfish aquaculture and ensure the protection of the marine environment.

The legal ruling on NWP 56 marks a significant victory in the effort to protect marine ecosystems, helping to safeguard sensitive habitats from the many negative impacts associated with large-scale aquaculture operations. The court will next decide on a remedy for the unlawful permit.

Looking Ahead in the Santa Barbara Channel

Federal agencies, led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, are pushing for the expansion of aquaculture, including a proposal to establish an “Aquaculture Opportunity Area” in the Santa Barbara Channel. While certain forms of aquaculture such as shellfish and seaweed farming may offer environmental benefits, finfish farming poses serious risks. These operations can impair water quality, spread diseases, lead to the escape of farmed fish into natural ecosystems, and significantly reduce important smaller fish populations used as feed.

Channelkeeper has been closely monitoring these developments, advocating for thorough environmental assessments before any aquaculture projects are approved. Channelkeeper is calling for a robust regulatory framework that includes continuous monitoring and strong protections for the marine environment, ensuring that projects do not harm water quality, marine life, or local fishing communities.

Opportunities for the public to provide comments are likely to occur soon. We will keep you posted.

References:

Glover, K. A., Pertoldi, C., Besnier, F., Wennevik, V., Kent, M., & Skaala, Ø. (2019). Atlantic salmon populations invaded by farmed escapees: Quantifying genetic introgression and consequences for local adaptation. Evolutionary Applications, 12(5), 919-930.

Hedberg, N., Kautsky, N., Kumblad, L., Wikström, S. A., & Elwing, H. (2018). Environmental risks associated with offshore fish farming: A Baltic Sea case study. Ambio, 47(3), 387 -396.

Skarbøvik, E., Sample, J. E., & Skogen, M. D. (2022). Impacts of nutrient pollution from aquaculture on coastal water quality. Environmental Science & Technology, 56(4), 2047 -2055.