Steel Net Update

In an update from the Partnership for Resilient Communities, executive director Pat McElroy reports that work continues on the Swiss-made, steel ring nets being installed high up in San Ysidro, Buena Vista, and Cold Spring Canyons. After successful anchor tests, helicopters have been moving thousands of pounds of equipment and supplies from a staging area to the installation sites. Anchors are being drilled on each side of the creek bed and cables are being stretched across the channel; the ring nets themselves will begin installation across the cables next week. 

“The process is going smoothly,” McElroy writes in a letter to stakeholders. “We hope to be done by the end of May, weather permitting.” The construction is being closely monitored by a supervising biologist, geologist, and a geo-tech engineer, who are ensuring that the environmental conditions of the permits and authorizations from multiple governmental agencies are carefully followed. 

McElroy says that while the first four nets are fully funded, nearly $900,000 is still needed to fund the last two nets, which the Partnership hopes to install at this time, while the crews are on site and already mobilized. “This would provide maximum protection to our community in the most cost-effective way,” he said.   

The flexible debris nets are engineered to resist velocities unique to debris flows, acting as a sort of braking system to protect the homes below the foothills of Montecito. The nets sit approximately three feet above the water surface of the creeks, allowing wildlife to pass through. Per the County’s emergency permit, the nets must be cleared out after storms. 

The net project, which was the brainchild of a group of private citizens, is set to cost $5.4M. “It’s thanks to the community and their financial support that a cutting edge idea to enhance our resiliency is now a reality. We hope the increased safety from these nets will also shrink the ‘red zones,’ reassure property insurers, and diminish future evacuation threats,” McElroy said. 

To contribute to the cause, or to see photos of the progress, visit www.PartnershipSB.org.