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Due to the increased flooding risk to adjacent properties and the City of Carpinteria, Santa Barbara County is conducting an emergency dredging operation at the Carpinteria Salt Marsh. Operations will continue 24-hours as needed until the amount of sediment in the marsh is no longer a flood risk to the community. The estimated completion date is early July 2023, as operational safety and circumstances allow. Further information will be provided as it is developed.
After the creek flows receded following the extreme rains from January 2023, the Carpinteria Salt Marsh revealed an extreme amount of sedimentation. This sedimentation obstructs Santa Monica Creek and Franklin Creeks. When these channels are obstructed, the community is at increased risk for flooding throughout the City of Carpinteria. Obstructed channels also interrupt the tidal cycle in the marsh, which reduces habitat for fish and wildlife that rely on open water channels for habitat and foraging.