June 2006 Issue
Giant Killer
By Chuck Graham
With a huge win at Teahupoo and a solid =5th at Cloudbreak, Bobby Martinez suddenly finds himself a scant 93 points behind 7-time world champ and current ratings leader, Kelly Slater.
Martinez dominated the South Pacific, the fast, ultra hollow lefthanders suiting the goofyfooter's penchant for speed and tube riding. With a quarter of the 2006 tour now complete, the World Championship Tour rookie is a strong title contender that has to be reckoned with.
From the first horn in Tahiti, Martinez was in form through the final in the 4 to 6 ft. surf. He soundly beat Bede Durbidge (AUS) and Pedro Henrique (BRA) in round 1. In round 3 against Jarrod House (AUS), a heavy drop followed by a deep tube climaxed his win. In round 4, he snuck by former world champ, C.J. Hobgood by a point. In the quarters, Martinez went up against wildcard participant Danny Fuller (HAW). Appearing relaxed in the barrel, Martinez finished his highest scoring waves with some vicious gouges, propelling him into the semifinals against WCT veteran, Taylor Knox. Taking off deep in the pit, Martinez pulled into a barrel that most onlookers gave up on, but miraculously he squeaked out at the end, the difference maker to advance to his first final on the WCT.
Martinez met another young gun in the final, 2005 WCT Rookie of the Year, Fred Patacchia (HAW). It was anyone's heat, but patience paid off for Martinez, consistently finding himself in the best barrels and narrowly defeating his goofyfoot counterpart by 2/10 of a point. It was his first Foster's ASP Tour victory.
"I'm on cloud 9," said an elated Martinez on the ASP World Tour web site. "To have this win...I can't even talk...it just feels fake. I didn't know how I was going to do this year. To have a win has taken me by surprise. It's amazing!"
Someone who isn't surprised is Bobby's shaper, Al Merrick, owner/shaper of Channel Islands Surfboards. Even before Martinez set out on his rookie campaign on the WCT, Merrick was confident that man on man heats in good waves would bode well for Martinez, who honed his competitive edge with seven National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) titles as an amateur before succeeding on the World Qualifying Tour (WQS) in 2005.
"I'm excited for him and super pleased he's doing well, but I'm not really surprised by his results," explained Merrick. "I thought this was more his format (WCT) than the QS. I felt he would do really well and surprise a lot of people."
Martinez certainly has. He followed up his stellar performance at Teahupoo with a quarterfinal finish at Cloudbreak in the 2006 Globe WCT Fiji. Three to 6 ft. lefthanders were on offer, but Martinez struggled in his round 1 heat against winner Danny Wills (AUS), but came back strong in round 2 to thump Koby Abberton (AUS), solidified by a deep tube that scored a 9.93.
In round 3, Martinez beat Pedro Henrique (BRA). In round 4, he paid back Danny Wills, but in the quarters, Martinez ran into C.J. Hobgood again. This time, the Floridian got the better of the exchanges at Cloudbreak, and beat Martinez by a substantial seven points. Hobgood's brother, Damien won the 45 minute final, beating Shaun Cansdell (AUS). Kelly Slater withdrew from the event because of a rib injury sustained at Teahupoo.
Nevertheless, Martinez has solidified himself on the WCT, and will carry this momentum to the next event, June 20-July1 in Mexico.
"I think the guys on tour have a lot to fear, continued Merrick. "Man on man all plays into Bobby's hands. I think Bobby's idea is that he's not looking to see who he's surfing against, but the waves he's surfing. He's competing against himself."
Posted June 2006 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
El Salvador's Sweetest Fruit
By Nicole De Leon
This April, Blue Edge’s very own art director Steve Tonnesen escaped the torrential gloom of Santa Barbara’s spring and headed towards a little-known stretch of coast in Central America called El Cuco, where he stayed at a surfer’s haven, Los Flores Resort. “Imagine taking El Cap and dropping it in 84 degree water and 85 degree air and you have Punta Mango” Steve relayed enthusiastically about one of the to-die-for breaks in El Cuco. After catching Steve’s amped vibe, I decided to do some investigating of my own, which left me with the impression of a tropical, un-crowded version of Hollister Ranch. In fact, if you’re looking for a sizzling surf vacation, Las Flores may be the ideal destination to quench your thirst for waves this summer.
One of Wave Hunter’s newest resorts, Los Flores was built because of the need for a safe, developed, accommodating, and surf-accessible resort on El Salvador’s “Wild East.” Co-owner Henry Morales explained, “before we built this Los Flores Resort there was no running water and not much transport to the local surf breaks. People would have to stay at least 20 minutes inland from the breaks, and bring all their food and supplies for the day with them. We now have a four-star resort in front of the surf break, with others accessible by pangas.”
This humble expanse of coast produces rich, pealing right-handers that aren’t accessible by car. Surf spots are as plentiful as flip-flops in El Cuco: Punta de Mango, La Vaca, Punta Bongo, Toro de Oro, Punta J’s, and Lucky Man’s to name a few. According to Steve, Los Flores has more face, but it is Mango’s cylindrical barrels that won over his heart. (And although the line-up was speckled with mostly short boarders, he stylishly pulled into a few thick ones on his 7'6).
Both Henry, the surf-trip guru of Wave Hunters and co-owner of Los Flores, and Steve, gave us some scorching hot info on this “ultra cool” getaway.
Wave Quality: A 'Ranch-like' set-up, i.e. private property along most of the coastline, with all the epic breaks accessible only by pangas. The breaks are like going to Santa Barbara in the summer if you blew up the islands,” Sean Walker of Wave Hunters remarked. A regular footer’s heaven - although smacking it ten times backside isn’t really a disadvantage.
Time of year to go: All year round, depending on skill level, and if you prefer bigger waves or smaller, cleaner ones. November through March is ideal for beginners because the swells are smaller and conditions are a bit cleaner. April-October Los Flores picks up-- a lot--and is for intermediate to advanced surfers only. April-June has a tendency to get windy by 10 or 11 am, but then glasses off in time for a late afternoon surf. “The wind this time of year unfortunately blows everyday like clockwork and after the morning session and a massive brunch there’s not much but junk to surf,” said Steve.
How far to book in advance: Try and book a few months in advance. Peak season is March 26-Sept-30. As of now, June 2006 spots are all booked up until July 30-Aug 5 and Aug 27 and on. You can also surf till you drop with 16 of your closest friends or family and book out the entire resort for 7 days or become a LF Surf Club annual member.
How long? Almost the exact distance between here and Hawaii- About 4 ½ hours from LAX.
All Levels? Short boarders and long boarders both dabble in the perfection of these waves. There are boards to rent at the resort, but most of the local surfers ride short boards. And don’t feel intimidated if you are a women traveler “there were actually quite a few girls on this trip, short boarding and they were dominating the line-up really,” recalled Steve.
Accommodations: budget, or plush? If you consider hanging by the pool drinking cervezas between surfs, or following your nose to the all inclusive gourmet Mediterranean, American, and El Salvadorian cuisines two times a day plush, then yeah it’s plush. Steve thought “the accommodations were very comfortable, with air conditioned rooms that have a view of the point, two gourmet meals a day, full bar, horizon pool, swimming pool/Jacuzzi and secure board storage--when I say secure, an armed guard actually sleeps in the storage hut down by the beach--and best of all, two pangas take you to your surf destinations every morning.”
The political situation and safety in El Salvador has been questionable in the past-how is it currently? ‘It’s actually a stable, right-winged government now, and has been since the 1990’s. They are pro-business, pro-government, and closely aligned to the U.S. politically. More so than other countries in Central America. It’s safer to spend the extra money on this trip and pay for semi-luxury accommodation and transportation etc. It actually becomes a problem when one has to budget because camping and hiking, and sometimes even eating the local 3rd world cuisine can be a risk here.”- Henry
says Henry. According to Steve, “they hold your hand the whole way, from the time you get off the plane.
Crowds - Rincon during Christmas break or Northern California isolation? Pretty un-crowded for the wave quality. There are only 16 surfers allowed in the resort and 8 per boat. If the locals are out 8-10 is a crowd. Still enough waves to catch “a months’ worth in three hours.”
Cost: day/6night tours cost 1pp single is $1,975 which includes: All airport transfers, local guides to assist at all times, 6 night accommodation and use of all amenities, all meals, and panga rides to each surf spot-to name a few.
Price doesn’t include airfare. Lower priced 3 night packages can be booked in the off season as well. Wave Hunters are partners with wholesale TACA (board friendly), and other major airlines. Flights can be booked with the help of Wave Hunters staff. Average price is $450-$800 from LAX and other major U.S. cities.
Ready to hook up this trip? Visit www.wavehunters.com or call 888 899 8823 to book tours.
Posted June 2006 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
Tropical Triptych: A trio of Surfy Summer Escapes
A Trio of Surfy Summer Escapes
by Michael Kew
It begins with desire— the desire to flee the familiar and slip into something a little more comfortable…or
uncomfortable, depending on what lies at Point B or Point C.
Chances are you’re at Point A right now, reading this magazine in a place you know all too well — your bedroom, your classroom, your office, your car — and you gaze out the window, yearning for a dozen Big Wednesdays. But summer’s here, and for those of us who can, it’s due time to pack up and get outta Dodge, because, unless you enjoy excessive driving or have access to a boat, there’s no better time than summer to bail Santa Barbara.
Maybe you’ve already booked a tropical summer vacation. Maybe not. Perhaps you’re on your third passport, or perhaps you’ve never had one, but it’s already June, and the swells of winter are long gone (but not forgotten); the fog and clouds are dismal and impenetrable, the water is cold, the south swells are weak and crowded and hyped two weeks in advance. Need more reasons to leave?
Instead, do yourself a favor and ask: North or south? East or west? Pacific or Indian? Cheap or expensive?
The point is, summer surf travel is an open road. A choice. A desire. So rather than wallowing in this summer’s cold, crowded lefts at Jalama or Backside Rincon, you could be pulling into warm, blue tubes and whacking whackable lips ‘til the cows come home.
Here are three prime summer destinations to consider, because otherwise, it could be a long — a very long — three months.
These islands await. Tell ‘em Santa Barbara sent you.
June
New Caledonia
Grande Terre is New Caledonia’s mountainous, cigar-shaped main island, and the South Pacific’s fourth-largest, located in the sunny Coral Sea east of Australia, north of New Zealand.
Here exists seemingly endless outer-reef-pass bliss. Grande Terre’s barrier reef encloses the world’s largest lagoon; the reef is 370 miles long, cleaved with more than 200 passes from north to south, wide open to swell from the Tasman and Coral seas. All of the surf spots are several miles from land and hence subject to erratic winds, so a liveaboard boat trip is the go here.
In the capital city of Nouméa, you could hire skiffs for day trips out to the reefs, but that’s costly, time-consuming, and a basic pain in the ass. Therefore, the best thing to do is charter a boat and have yourself an official New Caledonia boat trip. Quite an exotic thing to do, and with the range and freedom you’ll have by staying on a boat at the spots, you’ll increase your surf time exponentially. Plus, the anchorages are all inside the lagoon, so it’s fairly calm for all you seasickish types.
Face it: you have never embarked — nor do you know anybody who has — on a New Caledonia boat trip. It’s tough to beat French ambiance amid South Pacific idyll; I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather fly to a city like Nouméa instead of Paris. Tropical reef pass barrels miles from land in a warm, turquoise sea hold strong appeal against sandy, semi-closed-out Atlantic beachbreaks. Now, I’m not dissing France or anything, but New Caledonia is pretty doggone nice.
As with most boat trips, all you need to do is show up and let the boat crew do the rest. For starters, you’ll need to buy a ticket to either Sydney or Brisbane, Australia, which will cost you about $1,000. From Australia, fly Aircalin (about $300, three flights weekly, www.aircalin.com) for two hours to Nouméa, New Caledonia’s international gateway.
Pack accordingly for a tropical boat trip, and bring everything you’ll need in terms of surf gear, because there are no surf shops in New Caledonia. To combat the downtime doldrums often typical of liveaboards, bring plenty of reading material, music, swim fins, and a snorkeling mask.
You’ll need to organize your boat charter before you get there, of course, and the best operator to do this with is Wavehunters Surf Travel (www.wavehunters.com), which has been operating two nice fiberglass catamarans in New Caledonia for the past few years.
July
Samoa
You can’t go wrong with a trip to the rugged volcanic coastline of ‘Upolu, Samoa’s second-largest island, smack-dab in the center of the sultry South Pacific. Here is a collection of powerful coral-reef barrels and rich culture right in the heart of Polynesia. Samoa is regarded as the most traditional of all Polynesian nations, and ‘Upolu boasts an incredibly lush, steaming landscape, consistent swell, pristine surf spots, and friendly locals (as long as you’re respectful — there are few things scarier than an angry Samoan dude).
‘Upolu is uncrowded and unspoiled because its waves don’t suit the average Leadbetter or Mandos local’s tastes. Hence ‘Upolu’s epic environs, its lack of local surfers, oodles of swell, and its authentic tropical allure. Samoa is primarily best for shortboarding, especially if you’ve got a penchant for tube-riding, because ‘Upolu barrels and spits and snaps boards with the best of ‘em — there’s probably a Samoan Teahupo’o down there somewhere, but the world doesn’t know about it…yet.
You can fly direct from Los Angeles to Apia for about $1,000 with Air New Zealand (boards fly free). Connections to Apia can also be made via Honolulu aboard Polynesian Airways (Samoa’s national carrier) or Hawaiian Airlines. Once there, you can rent a car (about $40/day for a cheapie, but to expand your options I recommend renting a 4WD jeep for about $55/day), hire taxis, or ride the public bus, which stops near several surf spots and is a fun experience, but not real comfortable.
There are no surf shops on ‘Upolu, so bring everything you’ll need, especially reef booties (unless you’re one of those cool guys who never wears ‘em) and a first aid kit in case you get slammed onto the healthy coral reef, like I did on my first wave of my first session at Nu’usafe’e. Obviously, ‘Upolu is tropical, so you won’t need a lot of clothing; sunblock and hats are always good, though.
By South Pacific standards, ‘Upolu has a fairly decent tourism infrastructure (though it’s quite un-touristy), and you can find lodging within your budget in the capital of Aipa. From there, with a taxi or bus or rented jeep, you can easily access all of ‘Upolu.
Those who prefer a little pre-paid surf guidance and quick access to boats might consider the pleasant fale (bungalows) at Sa’Moana Resort (www.wavehunters.com), Salani Surf Resort (www.waterwaystravel.com), or the plush Coconuts Beach Club (www.quiksilvertravel.com), all three located on ‘Upolu’s surf-rich south coast.
August
Maldives
The southeastern rib of North Male’ Atoll in the Maldives glistens in the sun-drenched and swell-blessed northern Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Sumatra, south of India. The place is a true coralline gem, a jewel of Islamic culture and ultimate archetype of your average Robinson Crusoeism. While it can be a bit pricey, this lung-shaped atoll is also the heart of Maldivian surfing — consistent, perfect, and generally user-friendly rights and lefts looping over non-jagged reef, in 85-degree water, in front of palm trees, beneath endless sunshine.
North Male’ is literally halfway around the world, and you want to be wreathed inside the barrel of a utopian tropical aquarium while your bros are all freezing in crowded, crappy beachbreak back home. Certainly you’d rather indulge in a smorgasbord of playful, thin-lipped turquoise bliss. Hassle-free and exotic, with a good selection of shapely waves, North Male’ is tough to beat, and it fulfills any tropical surf fantasy you may have had, or are having right now.
You can book a room at one of the all-inclusive resorts, or you can charter a live-aboard boat. The former is usually cheaper than the latter, though, and since the resorts have their own boats for surf transport, chartering a boat isn’t really necessary — they generally go to the same spots the resorts can take you to. The easiest way to reach Male’ is via Singapore Airlines, direct daily from Singapore, for about $1,200 a pop.
The resorts might have some basic surf necessities, like wax and sunscreen, but you’ll need to bring everything. A surf hat and a long-sleeved white rashguard are important, because the Maldivian sun is positively scorching. Reef booties aren’t really necessary as the reefs are semi-friendly. Regarding surfboards, bring whatever you’d normally in fun-sized, lined-up waves, and leave the tow board at home.
I enjoyed staying at Lohifushi Island Resort, because not only is the left-hander there perfect, the resort can quickly take you to any of the surrounding spots in one of its comfortable dhoni boats. To the south is the famous Pasta Point fronting famous Dhonveli Beach and Spa (formerly Tari Village), where Maldivian surf tourism all started. Both Dhonveli (www.waterwaystravel.com) and Lohifushi (www.wavehunters.com) are killer places to base your Maldives surf trip, especially if you are a goofyfoot.
Posted June 2006 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
Rich Reed: Shaper's Profile
By Bill Tover
The name Rich Reed is synonymous with surfing. A true overall waterman, Rich was a member of Rabbit Kekai's Outrigger Canoe Club, and once surfed a 14 foot Hobbie Cat down a 15 foot wave at Himalaya's in Haleiwa, Hawaii. He also used to sail his 34 foot Trimaran a hundred miles of shore just so he could surf the boat on the long period groundswells. In 1966 at age 20, Rich, equipped with his boating and surfing experiences and his wife Diana, embarked across the blue Pacific to the Hawaiian Islands-- the land of Aloha--to test himself in one of the world's greatest oceanic and surfing arenas.
What were your first experiences in Hawaii?
My wife and I went to Hawaii in 1966. We based ourselves at Waikiki on the island of O’ahu where I immersed myself in the waves, paddling and surfing the popular, reef break called “Queens” where I was invited to work as a “beach boy” for the Outrigger Canoe Club, a low paying job, but in the Hawaiian culture, a very prestigious and highly recognized vocation. The infamous, Rabbit Kekai was our beach captain. To stay mentally and physically fit for our work, rescuing tourists on surfboards, paddle boards and catamarans, Rabbit insisted that we surf four hours a day, EVERY day. To be considered a “waterman” by the Hawaiians was one of my greatest experiences in Hawaii.
When did you become involved in shaping?
I returned to California in late 1966. Bob Haakenson started up the Spindrift surfboard company in 1967 and then I joined up with him as a shaper in 1968.
How did you become involved with creating the board blanks?
Around 1968, I joined my father-n-law, Lloyd Gist, and we started a company called California Foam in which we began “blowing” blanks. We were doing well, selling them from Santa Monica up to Santa Cruz. I continued with shaping while making the blanks until I decided to return to Hawaii.
Hawaii beckoned?
I returned with Corky Carrol to O’ahu equipped with two twin fins, a 6’6” and a 6’2”. They worked fine in four foot surf, but for larger surf I used my 7’2” and 8’ guns. Bear Miranden of La Jolla Surfboards was making long board twin fins during the late 60’s. They worked ok, but I preferred short boards for small waves and just took it upon myself to evolve the long board twin down to a short board twin. Upon my return, I was hired as a shaper by Surfline Hawaii shaping alongside Ben Aipa, Barry Kanaiaupuni, Ryan Dodson, Buddy Dumphy and Jerry Lopez for the next four years.
Times were changing, no?
The long boards were becoming shorter and thicker and having more rocker in the nose and tail making them that much more responsive in critical areas of the waves. The narrow, S Decks (7’6”-7’8” single fins) were representative of that time. With the big wave guns, the widest portion of the boards moved towards the nose thus enabling the surfer to control the board in front of the board’s midpoint, Shaun Tomson’s “S” turns in the tube at Backdoor and Lopez at Pipeline exemplified this.
Shaping with these Hawaiian legends must have been such an exciting and humbling experience?
Yeah! Shaping and riding the waves of the North Shore with these guys gave me such invaluable experience as a surfer and as a shaper learning all about the different templates that worked well in the Hawaiian surf.
What happened with Bob Haakenson and Spindrift Surfboards?
Bob came over to the islands to join me and we set up shop on the grounds of the church overlooking Waimea Bay. My shaping room was inside the church, schoolhouse. By 1975, I was back on the mainland. Bob eventually came back, and we continued with Spindrift Surfboards in Goleta until 1988.
Who was helping you to promote your board designs?
Around the early 80’s, I hooked up with a couple of New Jersey standouts by the name of Steve Dwyer and Bill Mellett. I also had Craig Comen and a young, fifteen year old girl by the name of Lisa Andersen.
Are you still shaping and surfing? How do you see the future of the surfboard design?
Yeah, I have been shaping some of my own boards, but I have been employed by Al Merrick since 1989. Polyurethane boards will remain popular due to their heavier weight, but the lighter epoxy boards will make some headway even though they are a bit too light and corky.
Posted June 2006 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
Environmental News
Community Environmental Council
By Katie DeLeuw
This summer, CEC has teamed up with the City Creeks Division to coordinate four creek clean-ups, one in each of the City’s four watersheds. Our first clean-up was May 20th at East Beach; volunteers picked up over 110 pounds of trash! Upcoming clean-ups include Arroyo Burro Watershed: Saturday June 17th at 10am-12pm at Arroyo Burro (Hendry’s) Beach; Sycamore Watershed: Saturday July 22nd, 10am-12pm at the Cacique St. footbridge (between Voluntario and Canada St.); and Mission Creek Watershed: Saturday August 12th, 10am-12pm at Oak Park. Participants will receive a coupon for free McConnell’s ice cream. Please join us!
CEC also has a number of upcoming events at our South Coast Watershed Resource Center. Throughout the summer, we will be offering geology walks, nature walks, beach clean-ups, workshops, and our annual Kids Creek Festival. The Kids Creek Festival will be Sunday June 25th, from 11am-3pm and will include a number of fun and educational activities for kids such as Chumash storytelling, sea creature art, a watershed model, live birds, and a steelhead trout game.
For more information visit www.watershedresourcecenter.org or email Katie at kdeleuw@cecmail.org. For information about CEC, visit www.communityenvironmentalcouncil.org.
Isla Vista Surfrider: Concert for the Coast
By Ben Preston
The fifth annual Concert for the Coast was Saturday afternoon in Anisq’ Oyo’ Park in Isla Vista, hosted by the I.V. Chapter of Surfrider. Held to promote awareness of coastal issues and raise money for the Naples Coalition, the concert featured six reggae and rock bands, and a beer garden.
Dedicated members of I.V. Surfrider, the Naples Coalition, and the UCSB Environmental Affairs Board tabled outside of the concert. Along with recruitment, their aim was to spread information about coastal preservation issues. New Belgium Brewery, of Fort Collins, CO donated the beer garden, giving proceeds from alcohol sales to The Naples Coalition.
The main draw of the concert was, of course, the bands. A good-sized crowd showed up to enjoy music in the warmth of a sunny Saturday afternoon. The event began on a mellow note and crescendoed in intensity as the final two bands—Iration and Blue Turtle Seduction—took the stage.
After the show’s conclusion, I.V. Surfrider members and a few other volunteers made sure all the trash was picked up. As the sun went down, the scene was a spotless Anisq’ Oyo’ Park and a throng of satisfied concertgoers who are now, hopefully, more aware of coastal preservation issues than they were before.
Environmental Defense Center
By Cameron Benson
The Environmental Defense Center (EDC), a nonprofit environmental law firm, was founded in 1977 to assist community groups in efforts to protect our health and environment. EDC has represented local residents on a range of issues including protection for open space & wildlife, our coast & ocean, and human & environmental health.
EDC continues to lead the fight against oil drilling off the coast of Santa Barbara. But now there is a new threat. As oil supplies around the world dry up, industry giants are looking to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as their next profit center.
One proposal is coming from a mining company called BHP Billiton. The proposed “Cabrillo Port” project has a lot of problems – massive air and water pollution, marine mammal impacts, and public safety concerns to name a few.
The project would be the worst air polluter in the region – by far! The American Lung Association recently released its “State of the Air Report for 2006,” finding that California is home to 14 of the top 20 most polluted counties in the country. We need to find cleaner ways to get our energy.
To find out more, contact 963-1622, or check out our website at www.edcnet.org.
Growing Solutions Restoration Education Institute
By Karen Flagg
Growing Solutions Restoration Education Institute is a 501c(3) non-profit corporation located in Santa Barbara County. We are a group of individuals committed to restoring California’s native plants and habitats. We work regionally, and believe in educating the community about the importance and value of ecological restoration. Through hands on educational experiences, grassroots restoration, and the propagation of site-specific native plants, we involve the community in actively restoring our local habitats, including our creeks and wetlands. The overall health and function of our wetlands and riparian areas is paramount to the health of our Ocean.
Growing Solutions has participated in numerous restoration projects since 1999 and is currently involved in several local projects throughout the greater Santa Barbara area including the Summerland Greenwell Preserve, the Goleta Slough, and the County Campus Restoration and Sustainability Project. We also operate five local nurseries, with a sixth under construction on Santa Cruz Island. We welcome volunteers or anyone interested in learning more. For information visit our website www.growingsolutions.org or contact us by phone (805) 452-7561.
Project Clean Water
By Cathleen Garnand
What does “clean water” mean to you? Safe for surfing and swimming? A healthy environment for dolphins and kelp? To the County of Santa Barbara, it means all of this and more. Our program is Project Clean Water. Our mission is to protect public health and enhance environmental quality in County watersheds and beaches. We do this by educating the public, finding and stopping pollution, and complying with state and federal laws.
The Federal Clean Water Act and the State Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act guide our role in protecting and improving water quality. These laws address how the County uses “Best Management Practices” to reduce pollution and are fundamental to the County’s Storm Water Management Plan.
Because Project Clean Water staff consists of only four individuals, a lot of clean water success is up to you. Keep your home or business free from green waste debris, your trashcans covered, and your pet’s waste picked up. Take your vehicle to a carwash instead of washing it in the street. Avoid over-watering landscaping, and think about where the products you purchase may end up. The bottom line: if you don’t want to drink it or surf in it, keep it out of the storm drains.
If you see anything going into a storm drain that shouldn’t be, call the Project Clean Water Hotline: 1-877-OUR-OCEAN. To find out more visit http://www.countyofsb.org/project_cleanwater.
Ventura Coastkeeper
The Ventura Coastkeeper is a non-profit organization devoted to protecting, preserving and restoring Ventura County's marine habitat, coastal waters, and watershed. The Ventura Coastkeeper was officially launched in November of 2000 in Ventura Harbor with the 22-foot long patrol boat, Tomol. At this time, the Ventura Coastkeeper became the 54th member of the international Waterkeeper alliance, an organization headed by Robert Kennedy Jr. The Tomol patrols the Ventura coastline and responds to calls about water pollution. Executive Director Mati Waiya and the rest of the Ventura Keepers are continually working to maintain a healthy environment for a diverse community through education, advocacy, enforcement, and citizen action.
A recent Monitoring Program has been implemented in the Calleguas Creek Watershed because it drains into one of the few remaining wetlands in Southern California, Mugu Lagoon. The area is one of Special Biological Significance (ASBS), as it is home to several endangered species and registered as a Chumash Native American archeological site. With the help of the California State University, Channel Islands Environmental Science Department, Ventura College, and the general public, Ventura Coastkeeper has begun training a citizen volunteer team organized to collect water samples at key sites along the Calleguas Creek and Revolon Slough
If you are interested in training with the Creek Stream Team, please contact Paul Westefer at paul@wishtoyo.org. For more information visit www.wishtoyo.org.
Posted June 2006 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
