Subscriber Comments for
Romero Pool

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COMMENT 319710	2012-09-14 07:50 AM
@042 are you speaking of the red herring regarding the well on parcel 2 that Montecito Water District has water rights to? yes that is the USFS hold up that even the Board of Directors say they will probably never draw water from the subsurface rights. The real story has always been the groundwater rights at the springs. Montecito Creek Water Company only controls 50% of the groundwater. What was said earlier - a conservation organization has 50% and could release for watershed restoration and steelhead nearly a mile away. We are talking about millions of gallons a year!
COMMENT 319710	2012-09-13 09:21 AM
After reading all these crazy posts I contacted Environmental Defense Center yesterday and they verified that steelhead had been rescued in Montecito Creek and they were exploring the matter.
COMMENT 319710	2012-09-12 05:52 PM
@086 The only thing that is endangered on this thread is steelhead. And Feeney needs to make good and release the water (and it is the law).
MTNDRIVER	2012-09-12 05:19 PM
Thanks, 041, definitely not Satan here. Trying to be reasonable doesn't work, so I will abandon the effort.
COMMENT 319086	2012-09-12 04:01 PM
Wait, the steelhead are endanger?! I regularly take my speargun into the mountains to shoot one for dinner, sometimes for breakfast. My dog eats them too, with greek yogurt and capers.
COMMENT 319041	2012-09-12 02:28 PM
973 Cut back on the coffee, 1st driver is a mcwc member, then he is a poacher, who kills endangered species... pretty steep accusations..... I don't always agree with him, but I doubt he is Satan NOAA has its own problems and your rants don't help them
COMMENT 319710	2012-09-12 12:43 PM
Hot Springs Creek produces a tremendous amount of groundwater that flows into Montecito Creek. Hot Springs Creek is irrelevant for (known) habitat (it is not surveyed which may or may not support steelhead) but is pertinent to provide water to Montecito Creek. In time more water may have to come from diversions found along Cold Springs Creek. There are a lot of people behind the scenes working on this and intend to straighten this out. Meanwhile Montecito residents do too little in regards to water conservation, so Michael Feeney is an enabler of bad habits by people drawing along Hot and Montecito Creeks.
COMMENT 318973	2012-09-12 12:24 PM
@MTNDRIVER Do you doubt that over 8 million gallons a year (50% of the water that Land Trust for Santa Barbara County controls as of March 15 2012)? You don't need me go to Hall of Records. MCWC has falsified diversion logs and claim that they take up to 19 million gallons a year. Do the search for diversions for the water company. Goodness what is wrong with Land Trust for Santa Barbara County acting like the conservation organization it portrays itself as being. The fish was rescued and they won't say were they were taken because they do not want people like you killing steelhead where they reside and where they are rescued to. NOAA said they do not publicize these things. You may not have contacts with NOAA I do.
MTNDRIVER	2012-09-12 11:04 AM
Okay, I did a search. Found lots of study proposals and maps and similar, all relating to steelhead recovery not only in this drainage but up and down the coast. From what I read, it seems like the only good habitat in the Montecito Creek drainage is in Cold Springs Creek, not Hot Springs Creek. If I missed something, I'd love to be educated--not berated, educated. Throwing around accusations is not helpful or informative. I found nothing about NOAA doing a rescue in the past few weeks--would love a reference to that event. If 547/556/814 knows that this happened, please point me to the information--I could not find it. Just saying "do a search" is not very helpful. The first page of results was nothing but references to comments on edhat, had to dig deep to find official NOAA and other agency documents, and they all referred to plans, not to any rescue that had occurred. I'd love to see steelhead come back in our creeks. I've been a supporter of the Urban Creeks Council and also contributed to habitat restoration in San Jose Creek (which is considered the sixth best habitat for steelhead trout in California). But if you want to convince people that Hot Springs Creek is good steelhead habitat and that the lack of water in the creek is the fault of the Land Trust rather than both natural drought and the Montecito Creek Water Company's diversions, just making a lot of accusations without recourse to actual documentary evidence doesn't help. And you don't convert people by accusing doubters of being in collusion with your opponents, or by calling them "silly". Here are two links, one to a map of this creek area showing which sections were identified as good steelhead habitat, and the other to the organization that did the study, Stoecker Environmental, whose projects include studies and project plans for watersheds to improve fish habitat. http://www.stoeckerecological.com/reports/SoSBCoReport /Maps/7.7.3.1_Arroyo_Paredon,San_Ysidro,Montecito_Ma p/ArroyoParedon,San%20Ysidro,Montecito_Creek_Map.jp g http://www.stoeckerecological.com/southern_santa_barbar a_county_stlhd_assessment_recovery_project.html
COMMENT 318973	2012-09-11 07:49 PM
@mtndriver - silly. I don't care where you live or where you get your water. Matters not. Do a search for steelehead + monetcito creek + NOAA They do not publicize these occurrences but I know they were taken to Mission Creek. Meet with me at the Hall of Records and I will show you everything including the recent flurry of deeds and easements from Land Trust for Santa Barbara County. Do you really think you get the right story 100% of the time from the press? There are many people getting ready to expose this water scam.
MTNDRIVER	2012-09-11 07:14 PM
Whoa, sorry, I do not have rights to the Montecito Creek Water Company. You have no idea who I am or where I live (hint--it's not in Montecito). I have no dog in this fight. I find your accusation extremely disturbing! I just get a little suspicious when the same person keeps posting accusations and doesn't back them up with any references. Tell us where to find info about NOAA rescuing steelhead and I'll listen with less skepticism. Seems like an odd agency to be dealing with trout.... Point us to a report! If they rescued steelhead, there must be a report somewhere. Don't assume everyone who is dubious about what you say has some kind of agenda. And kindly don't make accusations against people you don't even know!
COMMENT 318973	2012-09-11 05:21 PM
Shall we go look at this lovely pool while steelhead perish? Why is Land Trust for Santa Barbara County not involved with the very watershed they asked us to contribute towards? I for one am not pleased that I donated money to that organization. With millions of gallons a year coming through that drainage there should be numerous pools.
COMMENT 318654P	2012-09-11 01:11 PM
How about a word of thanks for the lovely photo instead of all the environmental issues?
JUKINJAY	2012-09-11 09:52 AM
My understanding of the agreement going back to the 1890s is that the Montecito Creek Water Company only has rights to half the water, and that they are to take it at a diversion dam quite a ways downstream from the springs. What they have done is to take 100% of the water at the source, leaving the creek almost completely dry for the benefit or watering the lawns of a couple of dozen Montecito estates. There is no reason to cap the water at the source. Refreshing pools like the one in the picture could be enjoyed, fish could return to the stream, and the Water Company could take their half at the dam as originally agreed. It seems like the Land Trust for Santa Barbara is really the Lawn Trust for Montecito Millionaires.
COMMENT 318973	2012-09-11 09:35 AM
Actually 50% of the water rights are controlled by Land Trust for Santa Barbara County. This is a conservation based organization that solicited money from the public. The public expects release of the water for watershed and steelhead. This is a matter of the public trust if they want money in the future. There is way more to the story then ever reaches the presses. Mtndriver has water rights to Montecito Creek Water Company. Otherwise he would show some concern for an endangered species.
MTNDRIVER	2012-09-11 08:39 AM
Once again multiple posts from the same person attacking the local Land Trust. Could the poster point us to some evidence that the Land Trust "instructed" Montecito Creek Water Co. to lock down the springs? My understanding is that when the Land Trust bought the property, both the water company and the previous owners kept their existing easements, including water rights. I don't think they could have made the purchase otherwise. That's just what I read in the local news outlets.
COMMENT 318973	2012-09-11 08:33 AM
Apply pressure to Land Trust for Santa Barbara County. Call and you want the water released for watershed restoration. (805) 966-4520 Call the national Land Trust Alliance they are affiliated to. And tell of your concerns that there is an conflict of interest because the primary donor is a shareholder to Montecito Creek Water Company. Talk or leave message for Rand Wentworth, President LTA (202) 800-2249 The USFS will stall releasing water for years. Now is the time.
COMMENT 318435	2012-09-10 05:38 PM
Land Trust for Santa Barbara County is no conservation organization. Mere enablers of the 1% while they kill steelhead. anything us regular folks can do about that 407???
COMMENT 318973	2012-09-10 05:36 PM
If Land Trust for Santa Barbara County received donations from Montecito Creek Water Company or shareholders for Montecito Creek Water Company then that would be a conflict of interest and could lose their accreditation of the Land Trust Alliance. It is no surprise as it is known in the environmental community this is not the first questionable deal done by Land Trust for Santa Barbara County.
COMMENT 318973	2012-09-10 04:07 PM
That is great for Romero Canyon! However Hot Springs is the driest I have witnessed in 12 years since land trust for Santa Barbara County instructed Montecito Creek Water Company to lock down the artesian springs. That of course constitutes a taking of steelhead an endangered species. Land Trust for Santa Barbara County is no conservation organization. Mere enablers of the 1% while they kill steelhead.
COMMENT 318398	2012-09-10 03:52 PM
It helps that we had some rain last week.

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