Santa Barbara Urban Creeks Collective (SBUCC) was founded in 1995 as Santa Barbara Urban Creeks Council by a group of concerned local residents who saw the need for greater protection of our local streams and watersheds.  In response to this need, they formed a network of community members throughout multiple Santa Barbara County watersheds to collaboratively steward, restore, and advocate for the creeks.  

 

Today, SBUCC continues to carry out its founding mission of protecting the local creeks, while evolving its activities in response to the changing needs of local watersheds and communities.  Inviting the public to explore and learn about their watersheds has become of increased focus, as having more caring eyes and hands on the creeks is vital in their protection.  

 

In 2025, we changed the Council in our name to Collective to better reflect the type of relationship we aspire to have with fellow stakeholders and community members.  As the Santa Barbara Urban Creeks Collective, we welcome and include the perspectives of diverse stakeholders, working together as a community to take care of our watersheds and support functional natural riparian ecosystems for years to come.

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Our work includes:

• Offering opportunities for community members of all ages to explore, learn about, and develop a love for their watersheds, such as creek tours, outings, and educational events.

• Providing public education on the value of healthy creeks, how to safely engage with creeks, and what we all can do to help protect them.

• Inviting community members to engage with watershed protection through volunteerism, such as creek and beach cleanups.

• Supporting community members in caring for their own local watersheds.

• Advocating for a healthy balance between growing the built environment and preserving important riparian resources.

• Collaborating with diverse public and private partners to support creek restoration efforts, including removing barriers to steelhead migration.

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