Anonymous
By the County of Santa Barbara
Beach nourishment operations are expected to continue at Goleta Beach County Park until the end of March, 2023. There will be a temporary pause in truck hauling starting today, with hauling tentatively resuming by Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. Truck hauling has been paused temporarily while sediment at the source locations is excavated, stockpiled, and sorted to be inspected for beach compatibility. During the temporary pause in work, the park’s west end will remain closed. The material in this area is unstable and walking through the work site could lead to an injury.
On February 9, 2023, the Santa Barbara County Community Services Department, Parks Division. partially reopened Goleta Beach County Park to the public. Parking, BBQ grills, beach access, and restrooms will be open from sunrise to sunset in the area between the park entrance and pier. The parking lot at the far east end and the pier will remain closed due to damage sustained during the January 2023 storms. While some repairs are underway and assessments of the pier are ongoing, it is anticipated to be several weeks before the east parking lot and pier can reopen safely.
The park’s west end will remain closed due to ongoing emergency beach operations. Work in this area will continue next week, Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Park visitors should be aware of large trucks entering and exiting the park and keep away from the operation area. The material in this area is unstable, and walking through the work site could lead to an injury. Work that began on Jan. 11, 2023 is expected to last until the end of March, 2023. On Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, Santa Barbara County proclaimed a local emergency due to the January 2023 Storm impacts. Goleta Beach Park is an active emergency response site under this declaration and state and federal emergency declarations. Beach nourishment operations are conducted through emergency permits from state and federal agencies. People traveling on the Obern Trail Path (Atascadero Creek Trail) should stay on the trail for transit through the park only; and use caution when traveling through the park due to operations near the park entrance.
For more information on beach nourishment operations, visit www.countyofsb.org/emergencybeachops.
Thank goodness the SB County actually h-a-s a location where they can perform the much-needed waterfront nourishment program. I realize that there are a few folks that are upset with this, but keep in mind that it IS a SB County Park, which does not belong to the closest city….Goleta. We need a good ocean storm though to properly distribute the contents of the dump trucks. Certainly, the rocks help with ocean life, as well as keep sand in place. The whole project will be over soon, and then we can get back to fishin’, swimmin’, and general goofin’ around!
I respectfully disagree. The continual transportation of dirt from one watershed to another is completely unnatural, especially given the massive cost and fuel required. The silt and dirt is literally killing the littoral (beachside) environment right now. It’s a dead zone. Go take a look. Yeah, it’ll eventually recover. Mother nature always does, one way or another.
BASIC – I agree with you, but we are the minority sadly. Opposing the unnatural dumping of foreign soil is unnecessary. If it were as necessary and helpful as proponents say, why haven’t we been doing this annually for decades? Goleta beach has weathered and come back every winter aside from 2018 and 2023 without needing this “nourishment.” So tell me, why is it we only “need” this dumping when SB/Montecito doesn’t have anywhere to put their debris? And no, we’ve had plenty of wet, stormy winters aside from this one and 2018. I want to know why, all of a sudden, after decades (and longer) of Goleta Beach holding its own, it suddenly needs to be “nourished?” Why?
*”Opposing the unnatural dumping of foreign soil is unnecessary.” – yikes, Jon, that was meant to be….
“The unnatural dumping of foreign soil is unnecessary.
7:49 – Yes, only difference is THIS dirt wouldn’t naturally be flowing into Goleta beach. There’s nothing “natural” or “nourishing” about this whole thing. Call it what it is – dumping crap that doesn’t belong there because no one wants their precious Butterfly beach soiled.
The ludicrous orwellian misuse of the term “nourishment” to describe the dumping of debris into the ocean just adds insult to injury. Three years ago we were told Public Works was securing a long term debris site and the beach dumping was temporary. Many of us saw the bacteria laden studies done on the dumping. Only an idiot or a spin doctor would buy the “it would end up there anyway” line. Nope sorry. The biodiversity unique to Goleta Beach or Ash Avenue in Carp is not where TONS of the Montecito debris “nourishment” would “naturally” end up. Maybe Butterfly or Padaro? But not Goleta or Ash avenue. And restricting and preventing coastal access for almost two months at the. County’s one designated access site in the south coast between gaviota and Santa Barbara is another insult. Who is running the show?
Goleta Beach and Carp are just the cheapest places for the County to dump flood debris. The County is operating under the same emergency permits issued after the mudslides in January 2018. There’s land up canyon for this waste (where debris basins were emptied prior to 2018) , but the trucking cost would increase the Flood Control expenditures. Environmentally, the ocean off Goleta Beach is NOT the place to dump this crap. Out-of-sight out-of-mind is the operative principal here. I wouldn’t recommend anyone swimming there anymore.
There are simply no other viable alternatives to Goleta Beach to dump the debris. If there were another spot where this material could be dumped out the county would have selected that non-existent better place. Beach nourishment is an interesting term to use, but that’s exactly what is being accomplished….the beach is being “nourished” with rocks, sand, and dirt. We appreciate those who hate the idea that Goleta Beach is the best place for this project and invite robust discussion. However, most who know about this kind of stuff know that the obvious “best place” (Goleta Beach) is being utilized. One storm and all that so-called muck will be a distant memory. I think that if were really a true problem, the local protest machine would fire up an block the entrance to the beach….but that’s not happening.
Dpj, stray, & sac you three should join the Santa Barbara county board of emergency management. Sounds like you guys have it all figured out!
BENICEE – No, I don’t have it figured out, other than it’s NOT “nourishment” if it hasn’t been necessary over the past 60 years since it was first opened as a beach.
Are you dump-proponents seriously telling me there is NO other location along the county’s coast to dump all this crap? I mean, you all “know about this kind of stuff,” right?
Be_Nicee: I think there are two or three folks on this board who are getting hung up on terminology a bit. When the term ‘nourishment’ is taken literally, then you can see why they have an issue as the debris being dumped is not actually food or sustenance. I know what the term nourishment means, but not going to bust anyone’s chops over the term and demand the word be changed to accommodate ME/ME/ME,
Location/Location: It is true that there is no other place in the county where the flood/mudslide sand, dirt, and rocks can be dumped. The Santa Barbara County park at Goleta Beach checks ALL the boxes for the perfect location for the task at hand. I defy anyone to specify another viable and acceptable location. The argument that “this is my beach and the beach I use and so on” is not valid simply because it’s county property….and what the county wants to do….the county g-e-t-s to do. Go figs.
“When the term ‘nourishment’ is taken literally, then you can see why they have an issue as the debris being dumped is not actually food or sustenance.” – Hey, how about you climb off your self-created high horse before you fall down and look silly. No one thinks they’re “feeding” the beach. Why are you so hesitant to answer the simple question – Why does Goleta Beach all of a sudden need help from SB’s dirt? Answer – it doesn’t. Stop insulting our collective intelligence by preaching down to us that it’s “good” and “necessary” for a beach that has existed for almost 75 years without ever needing to be dumped on.
Look, if this is about accessibility, etc, I can understand that. Fine. But the constant lecturing and “know it all” attitude by those who think this is “necessary” is neither appreciated nor warranted. Truck access makes sense, although there are other spots I and others have identified. And if those aren’t feasible and Goleta is truly the ONLY spot to do this…. FINE. But quit with the nourishment BS. It’s never needed it before. Be honest, that’s all we want.
Can someone please inform me where the water/mud/debris ends up after the rain falls in the mountains? I may have just answered my own question. At least all this mud/debris and rocks aren’t in your living room, a neighbor’s or friend/family and the flood control system in place worked as intended. Where else are we going to put all the mud collected?
MONTECITO MATT – “Where else are we going to put all the mud collected?” – where it normally would have washed down to – Butterfly, East Beach, Padaro, Leadbetter, anywhere that isn’t Goleta Beach where none of this material is from.
“At least all this mud/debris and rocks aren’t in your living room, a neighbor’s or friend/family and the flood control system in place worked as intended.” – Goleta Beach shouldn’t be part of your flood control system.
Sac, Is there truck access to your preferred locations?
Montecito Matt, others may not be aware but before we filled in and developed the Goleta slough in the 18 and 1900’s it’s mouth, at Goleta beach, flowed freely and all the water, mud and debris from the entire Goleta watershed flowed out here. People claiming this is not natural may not be aware of the natural history of Goleta beach/slough. Or it’s just NIMBYism at it again.
VOICE – you’re missing the point (not surprisingly). I’m well aware of it’s creation but that has nothing to do with the current dumping. You are so “aware,” then please explain to us how Goleta Beach has survived every winter WITHOUT trucking in debris? I’ve yet to hear one of you condescending know it alls explain that.
So that’s it? Goleta Beach is the only place along the coast with truck access? Leadbetter, and East beach both have main roads/parking lots adjacent to the sand, just like Goleta Beach. Why not those?
How has Goleta Beach been able survive every winter without trucking in debris for the past 75 years (aside from 2018 and 2023)? I’ll wait….
There are literally pictures in the links I provided, in addition to metrics on amount of dirt moved, showing otherwise yet you still have the arrogance to call me wrong. Did you even bother reading the articles and looking at the pictures? Or google it for 5 minutes?
“through the Goleta Slough” not from debris flows 10+ miles away.
Why not East Beach? Why not Leadbetter?
The arrogance to maintain an incorrect position even when presented with very clear indisputable evidence to the contrary is impressive. As to your questions about east beach and leadbetter, as of last weekend there was plenty of sandy beach there. They also already pipe sand dredged from the harbor to east beach.
It hasn’t. For decades we’ve been adding sand, rock abatements, etc. to Goleta.
VOICE – wrong. We haven’t been dumping on this scale at any point in the beach’s history.