Debris Basin Update

At this month’s Montecito Association Land Use Committee meeting, the committee heard from Flood Control Deputy Director Tom Fayram, who gave an update on the Randall Road debris basin project. 

The project, which includes the acquisition of seven parcels on Randall Road and one on East Valley Road, will offer improved debris catchment from San Ysidro Creek. Preliminary design concepts for the project include excavation to widen and deepen the eight acres of property adjacent to the creek channel, upstream of the Highway 192 bridge/culvert, thus creating a catchment area to collect debris during storms and/or emergency events. The eight-acre basin would be screened with trees and cleared out after storms, Fayram said. 

The County is aiming to build the project in two years; a typical project of this type usually requires 5-10 years. “It’s pretty aggressive, but I have a good feeling about it,” Fayram said. 

The first step is property acquisition, followed by environmental review and permitting, and design and construction. The project is projected to cost $25M, not including maintenance on the basin. Funding options include FEMA grants, private funding sources, and increased Flood Control assessments, which are being investigated. 

Fayram also outlined several other planned and potential projects to mitigate debris flow, including upgrades to the bridges on Highway 101 at Oak, San Ysidro, and Romero Creeks, modifications to the Cold Spring, San Ysidro, and Romero debris basins, and a potential new basin at Buena Vista. The Army Corp of Engineers is currently conducting a new study on the channel capacity in Montecito; those results are expected in October. 

First Net Installed in San Ysidro Canyon 

On Tuesday, May 7, members of The Partnership for Resilient Communities welcomed several stakeholders to watch as the first steel ring net was installed in San Ysidro Canyon. Spanning 70 feet wide across the canyon, the net is the first of six nets slated for installation, as long as the Partnership can raise the additional $900k necessary for installation and maintenance. 

“We consider this an historic day for us,” said TPRC executive director Pat McElroy. “We are doing today what many said would never be a possibility.” 

The nets are considered a mitigation measure to future debris flow, engineered to resist velocities unique to such events and acting as a sort of braking system to protect the homes below the foothills of Montecito. The Partnership is comprised of former SB Fire Chief Pat McElroy, Brett Matthews, Gwyn Lurie, Joe Cole, Les Firestein, Mary Rose, Ron Pulice, Alixe Mattingly, Cathy Cash, and Hollye Jacobs, who came together following the 1/9 debris flow to look for ways to prevent, or at least slow down, future debris flow events. The group has raised $4.5M through private fundraising, and is seeking an additional $900k to complete the first six nets. 

“We want to see this through to its full potential, and if we don’t raise the additional funds soon we’ll have to stop the installation of the last two nets,” McElroy said. “The nets are here and ready to install, so it would be a tragedy to not have the funds to install them.” 

The last few weeks crews have been staged at the installation site, drilling anchors on either side of the creek bed as part of the installation. The next two sites to be installed are in Cold Spring Canyon, with crews already beginning anchor work on those. 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. One of those conditions is that the nets are placed at least three feet above the creek bed, allowing fish and wildlife to move freely. The nets are also required to be cleaned out after storms, and removed in five years. 

The debris flow from San Ysidro Creek ultimately caused catastrophic damage to San Ysidro Ranch and La Casa de Maria, as well as the “ground zero” devastation at Randall Road, Glen Oaks, and beyond. The new net installed on Tuesday is expected to catch 7,000 cubic yards of material from making its way into the creek bed and beyond. 

“Installing this net is a huge win for us. It’s something real and we think it’s going to make a real difference in the future of our community,” he said, adding that the debris flow mitigation from the nets could have an effect on the Debris Flow Risk Map and future evacuations. 

The Partnership still needs the community’s help in reaching its fundraising goal. “We are looking for 100% participation from the community, and there is no donation that is too small,” said Lurie. “We want this to be ‘the people’s project,’ so we need everyone’s help to get here. Every check matters.” 

To donate, visit www.partnershipsb.org.