In June 2002, building upon the success of our Ventura Stream Team program, we launched a new Goleta Stream Team to begin testing on the Goleta Slough watershed. Goleta Stream Team shares the same three goals as our Ventura Stream Team: to collect scientifically sound, baseline data on the health of the watershed; to recruit and train a force of watershed stewards in the community; and to identify sources of pollution throughout the watershed.

 

Each month, Stream Team volunteers test common water quality parameters at up to 18 sites in the Goleta Slough watershed, including the seven major tributaries as well as the Slough itself. Volunteers use portable meters to test in-stream parameters such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, and conductivity. In addition, samples are collected that are later analyzed in the laboratory for bacteria and nutrients. Visual observations such as weather conditions, algae coverage, water clarity, odors, and trash are also recorded on standardized datasheets. We follow rigorous Quality Assurance/Quality Control protocols that are based on a Quality Assurance Project Plan approved by the State Water Resources Control Board.

 

Stream Team data is being used by government agencies, consulting firms, environmental organizations, and other watershed stakeholders to help protect the watershed and the species that depend on it. We are collecting invaluable information on the overall health of these watersheds at a time when monitoring by our regulatory agencies has suffered major cutbacks, so we're working with the State and Regional Water Boards to ensure that our data is integrated and used in the agencies' biennial water quality assessments and development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for pollutants of concern in these waterbodies. Our data is available in raw format on our Stream Team website.

Click here for a legal disclaimer regarding water sampling results.

For our current Goleta Slough Watershed report card, click here. For more information and to check out current Stream Team data, go to our Stream Team website.

As of August 2009, over 290 community members have participated in this program, working roughly 920 volunteer-days and contributing over 3,600 hours of their time. Goleta Stream Team has also received support, both financial and other, from a variety of groups including the City of Goleta, UCSB's Long Term Ecological Research Program, the Santa Barbara Foundation,UCSB's Cardinale Lab, Santa Barbara County, the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project, UCSB's Shoreline Preservation Fund, and the Isla Vista Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. New volunteers are always welcome. Sign up on our volunteer list, or visit our official Stream Team website for more information.

In January 2006, we were proud to release our Goleta Stream Team 2002-2005 report, which outlines the findings of our monthly Goleta Stream Team water quality monitoring throughout the Goleta Slough watershed from June 2002 - June 2005. The entire report is 76 pages long. To simplify downloads, we offer the report in sections as seen below. To request a hard copy or CD version, please contact Ben Pitterle at (805) 563-3377 ext. 3 or by email ben@sbck.org

Executive Summary and Introduction
Background
Results
Recommended Actions and Endnotes
References and Methodology

Channelkeeper subsequently released an update report for Goleta Stream Team in 2007. Copies of this update along with multiple other special reports and studies can be found on our Stream Team website.