Mission Canyon Restoration Project

Emergency Repairs Completed

We have completed emergency repairs to the roadway that was damaged during recent, severe storms and all Mission Canyon trails will reopen for public recreational use beginning Saturday, May 27. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we completed these necessary safety repairs. 

For any additional information related to our work in the area, please visit www.sce.com/missioncanyon or contact the Mission Canyon SCE information line at (805) 654-7223. 

 

Background

In order to safely access electrical infrastructure in the Santa Barbara area, SCE maintains sections of the Mission Canyon access road, including conducting needed road maintenance and vegetation removal to address occasional storm damage.

Storm activity over the last year damaged access roads in Santa Barbara County that are used by SCE to safely reach electrical infrastructure for necessary maintenance and repair. SCE anticipated that fixing access roads in the Mission Canyon area would require both clearing brush and minor road work.

In 2019, SCE crews performed extensive road grading, generating debris that moved down canyon slopes into Mission Creek, causing unintended impacts to the area.

SCE deeply regrets that a breakdown in our processes led to this incident. We are committed to repairing the road, stabilizing the slope where SCE crews conducted grading work and addressing the environmental impacts. SCE has made significant changes to the way we conduct our work to prevent similar issues in the future.

SCE is working with City and County of Santa Barbara, other agencies and representatives of the community to complete all needed restoration work. Though completion is expected by the end of the year, that timeline is dependent on work progress and obtaining all required agency approvals.

Additional information related to progress on the project can be found at www.sce.com/MissionCanyon and on the Mission Canyon SCE information line at (805) 654-7223 .

 

SCE is seeking to minimize the potential environmental impacts of its infrastructure development and maintenance projects.

SCE is complying with all environmental permitting requirements and is cooperating with the appropriate regulatory agencies to repair damage and restore the creek, including the City and County of Santa Barbara, California Department of Fish & Wildlife, Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the public.

SCE conducted an internal review of the circumstances related to the impacts to Mission Creek and was deeply disappointed to find issues with our process related to the execution of this needed work. We have since made significant changes to the way we conduct our work to prevent similar issues in the future both here and throughout our service area.

The three approaches of SCE’s response plan include:

2020 Emergency Road Repair Project – Complete.

Removal of all necessary rock and debris from roads, installation of k-rail and fencing in areas of potential rock fall, and removal of steel plates to allow completion of bridge assessment.

Mission Canyon Road Repair Project

Civil/geotechnical engineering design for rock fall hazard mitigation and berm stabilization. Preparation and submittal of City and County grading and land use permits. Execution of approved scope. Finalize environmental impacts assessment.

Mission Canyon Stream Habitat Restoration Project

Develop, permit, and execute stream cleanup and restoration in compliance with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) requirements. Develop and implement compensatory mitigation strategy for environmental impacts.

Expose as Block
No

2020 Emergency road repair has been completed.

2020 Road Repair Project has been completed.

Expose as Block
No

Emergency Road Repair Project – Rock Wall Temporary Repair (2020)

  • Description: Removal of all necessary rocks and debris from roads, installation of k-rail and fencing in areas of potential rock fall, and removal of steel plates to allow completion of bridge assessment.
  • Status: Completed as of March 27, 2020.

Mission Canyon Road Repair Project – Road Grading, Drainage, Stabilization, and Rock Mitigation (2020)

  • Description: Develop civil and geotechnical engineering designs for roads and drainages. Perform a geotechnical study to provide recommendations for the rock walls.
  • Status: Completed as of November 25, 2020 

Mission Canyon Stream Habitat Restoration Project (2021)

  • Description: Develop, permit, and execute stream cleanup and restoration in compliance with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) requirements. Develop and implement compensatory mitigation strategy for environmental impacts.
  • Status: In progress. 
Expose as Block
No

If you have questions about this project, please call our project hotline at (805) 654-7223 .

Email general project questions or comments to MissionCanyon@sce.com.

Expose as Block
No

Expose as Block
No