Local organizations target San Ysidro Creek Preserve for cleanup

Local non-profits are hard at work cleaning up 44-acres of open space in Montecito.

The San Ysidro Creek Preserve that runs through the Ennisbrook neighborhood was full of debris after the Jan. 9 debris flow.

The Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade, the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, the Ennisbrook Homeowners Association, and FEMA are working together to rid the area of debris and trash.

“We saw these mountains of debris and we realized the only way to clean this up was to separate it into its component parts and deal with it accordingly,” said Abe Powell, Founder of the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade.

For months volunteers and contractors have carefully separated trash, stones, and green waste.

Powell said stones are being taken out and donated. Tons of trash has been hauled away and the green waste is being turned into wood chips which will be used for dust suppression, and for soil building to stimulate regrowth.

“This is a chance for us to clean up and get in there and make it better than what it was,” said Bruce Reitherman, Conservation Director for Santa Barbara County Land & Trust.

The hope is that the project will be completed in about a month.