With funding from the International Paper Foundation, Orange County Coastkeeper has been working with the US Forest Service for two years to develop stream profile data on Trabuco Creek. This effort was started by Coastkeeper as a response to the Holy Fire which devastated the Trabuco Creek watershed in 2018, destroying homes and causing devastating flooding in the winter of 2019.
Coastkeeper spent the spring of 2019 developing the project proposal with the Forest service and obtaining the necessary approvals and permits. Then Coastkeeper staff and volunteers made six trips to the creek to gather the stream profile data from June through October 2019. Next Coastkeeper created a final report of our work in April 2020 and submitted it to the Forest Service for their use.
We are pleased to announce that the Forest Service has used our data to develop their own report that was released in August 2020. The report focuses on the stream conditions at a major bridge crossing on Trabuco Creek. This Forest Service report documents the differences in channel response at the bridge when compared to still-existing low water crossing and provides insight into specific channel benefits the bridge has provided.
This report will inform future decisions on the other creek crossings on Trabuco Creek and elsewhere. This effort shows the benefits that can be realized when Coastkeeper works with business and government agencies to bring the community together to address important issues like protecting our National Forests. We are looking forward to continuing our work in our National Forests and thank International Paper and all our volunteers for helping to make it possible.
