The Malibu Creek Watershed covers more than 100 square miles of mostly undeveloped land, from Agoura Hills and Thousand Oaks across the Santa Monica Mountains, to where it drains into the Santa Monica Bay. The area is generally thought of as being mostly pristine. But a large study by the group Heal the Bay says humans have caused pollution and other problems throughout the watershed.
Heal the Bay has released a study based on 12 years of research by its staff and citizen volunteers. It finds pollution from runoff, along with other problems, far up into the watershed. “There are places here that are quite healthy," says study co-author Sarah Sikich of Heal the Bay. "But we found evidence of degradation most likely related to development in the watershed, habitat damage from hardened streams and other issues.”
89.3 KPCC
March 15, 2013