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(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) – The beaches in Isla Vista will be closed from 8:00 a.m. Friday, April 4th through Monday April 7th at 8:00 a.m. due to the potential for a “Deltopia” event. The closure is to prevent a re-occurrence of the destructive and dangerous conditions that resulted from the 2009 Floatopia. The Santa Barbara County Code (Section 26-11) authorizes the Community Services Department to close any County recreation area including beaches.
Following the Floatopia event of 2009, the beaches at Isla Vista were left strewn with trash and debris, including human waste. This event had no provisions for the health and well-being of the public, including no facilities for human sanitation or trash collection. The County of Santa Barbara, therefore acted to close the Isla Vista beaches for similar events since 2010.