Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for the Mission Creek Restoration at Oak Park

The City of Santa Barbara’s Sustainability & Resilience Department invites the community to join Mayor Randy Rowse and the Santa Barbara City Council for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the Creeks Division’s Mission Creek Restoration Project at Oak Park.

Key elements of the project included transforming a 1,800-foot section of Mission Creek back to its natural configuration by removing concrete structures in the creek bed, restoring hardened creek banks, and creating floodplain habitat. The restoration process also involved removing invasive, non-native plants; restoring the creek channel, creating floodplain habitat, and planting over 3,000 native plants and trees.

The removal of aging concrete structures has improved park aesthetics, and the restored creek channel now provides enhanced shelter and access for wildlife. Additionally, native trees will help shade and cool the creek, while native plants will naturally filter pollutants from the water.

For more information about this project, visit SantaBarbaraCA.gov/MissionCreek.