Lower Mission Creek Flood Control

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has issued an amended ITP (No. 2081(b)-2024-003-05A1), pursuant to Section 2081(b) of the Fish and Game Code to the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department (Permittee). The Project involves a series of flood control improvements from Canon Perdido Street Bridge downstream to the Gutierrez Street Bridge. Project activities include re-grading the bed slope, vegetation removal, removal of old in-stream structures, bank armoring, diversion and dewatering activities, and installing riparian habitat zones above the vertical concrete wall outside of the channel and within the banks of the vertical concrete walls. The Project would increase the channel capacity to 3,400 cubic feet per second (cfs) and would provide approximately a 20-year level of flood protection. The Project will result in impacts to 2,600 linear feet of southern California steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) habitat. The project is expected to result in incidental take of southern California steelhead, which is/are designated as an endangered species under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). The amended ITP referenced above as issued by CDFW authorizes incidental take of species listed under CESA that may occur as a result of Project implementation. On August 17, 2026, CDFW issued an amended ITP for the Project. Changes included in the amendment allow for Permittee to modify or secure in place water diversions or dewatering systems when precipitation is predicted, if done in accordance with a CDFW-approved diversion or dewatering plan and modify some language throughout the ITP for clarification purposes.