This week, we sent a letter to the OC Board of Supervisors demanding that they open up Orange County’s waterways to the public. Our creeks and streams have some of the most restrictive access laws in California, so much so that they violate our state’s constitution.
In most other counties, such as Riverside and San Bernardino, people can freely recreate in their waterways. We envision a future where families can freely fish in Trabuco Creek, birdwatch in San Diego Creek, wade in the Santa Ana River, and everything in between.
Creeks and waterways belong to the public, not the government.
We’ve called upon the Board of Supervisors to repeal their illegal ordinance and remove the “No Trespassing” signs seen all over our waterways.
If they don’t comply, OC Coastkeeper intends to file a lawsuit to enforce our Constitutional rights as Californians.
We’ll keep you posted as our fight for waterway access evolves.
Why Fight for Creek Access?
For decades, Orange County’s waterways have been misrepresented as solely flood-control infrastructure, disconnecting both lawmakers and the public from the waters that surround them. Coastkeeper believes that through access and responsible recreation, which are entitled to Californians under state law, Orange County residents and visitors can start a new chapter for our waterways.
In our long fight for waterway access, people often dismiss the idea, claiming our waterways are unsafe. These generalizations are not backed by data and misrepresent what it means to be safe for recreation.
Orange County’s creeks are shallow and have low flow, making them ideal for birdwatching, fishing, hiking, kayaking, and wading — all activities with little to no direct human contact with the water. Under current law, these activities are banned from nearly all Orange County waterways. It is unacceptable for government agencies to claim our waters are not safe or clean enough for these low-risk activities, and it would reveal a much larger problem with regional water-quality compliance.
River Recreation in Orange County
Kayaking
In 2012, Coastkeeper worked with the County of Orange over a year-long advocacy process to secure permission to kayak the Santa Ana River at Yorba Linda’s Featherly Regional Park for two days. Our goal was to showcase the river’s natural beauty and viability for recreation.
Despite generating some local excitement and media buzz, our expeditions did not result in long-term regulation changes for recreation in the Santa Ana River.
Fishing
Orange County is home to a large angler community, many of whom already fish creeks and off bridges for bass, sunfish, and trout. Under the current County ordinance, this is wrongfully illegal, even if anglers catch and release.
Birdwatching
The County’s ordinance makes it illegal to get near waterways under its jurisdiction, making it impossible to observe Orange County’s robust bird populations that frequest our waterways.
Wading & Relaxing
Just miles upstream in the Santa Ana River watershed, Inland Empire residents regularly cool off in creeks and streams when temperatures rise. Yet in Orange County, restrictive laws have robbed residents of that same possibility.
