Pianist

by Kelly Mahan Herrick

Pat McElroy was at the Montecito Association Board of Directors on Tuesday, giving a report on the six steel debris flow nets that were placed in the canyons above Montecito in 2018. Recently, the citizen-led group that spearheaded the installation of the nets, The Project for Resilient Communities, filed an application with the County of Santa Barbara to extend the five-year emergency permits for the nets to remain in place. If the application is rejected, the nets will have to be removed by November of this year, prior to the start of the rainy season.

According to McElroy, this year’s storms in January impacted all of the nets in the community, and filled one to the top in San Ysidro Canyon, which was critical in containing a debris flow. “The nets’ benefit have now been proven,” McElroy said, adding that the nets are all on private land. All landowners have granted a five-year extension, and insurance has been secured for the next five years. The group is seeking a five-year extension to the permits from the County, and are also seeking to discuss the possibility of the nets being managed and maintained by the County moving forward. The group is seeking to donate the nets system as part of an overall strategy for Public Works infrastructure becoming more robust for the community’s protection.

The group has applied for an extension with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, an extension with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and has FEMA evaluating funding for 94% of the costs to clean out the full net in Upper San Ysidro Canyon. That net has not been able to be cleaned out earlier because of the closure of the back country. “This support by FEMA indicates proof of concept that the nets clearly work,” McElroy said.

The National Weather Service is predicting a strong El Niño for the upcoming winter. Since the year 1820, more than 41 debris flows, debris laden flooding, and floods have occurred in the South County drainages. The nets were installed after the debris flow of 1/9/2018, as part of an overall disaster mitigation plan. This was done with essential support from private citizens and with county, state, federal, and environmental support, when the county was focused on other critical areas of recovery.

The group is seeking monetary support to help fund the project through the end of the year, as well as vocal support of the nets via letters and contact with the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. “After natural disasters, people forget, and we have to let the people in power know that we remember,” McElroy said, adding that there are many new residents in Montecito who were not present during the 1/9 debris flow disaster. To get involved, learn more, and contact the County, visit www.tprcsb.org. If the permit is not extended, it will cost $600K to remove the nets, which will be paid for by a previously-secured grant from California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The Montecito Association Board of Directors pledged support, and will be sending out further information to the community in their weekly newsletter.

During community reports, Nick Turner from Montecito Water District reported that the equipment has now been installed for smart readers, and numerous