The recent storms in the Santa Barbara area led to devastating floods and resulted in an important amount of debris and pollution on local beaches that washed off in the ocean. During such weather, not only is the landscape unable to absorb any water, but the runoffs are endangering our environment. Watersheds and oceans are greatly polluted by runoffs, which is the number one source of ocean pollution in urban areas, according to the Ocean Friendly Gardens.

Learning how to design and maintain a healthy landscape that will help the environment is a great first step. The Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) program and the Green Gardens Group (G3), offer wonderful resources and solutions to build gardens using the California watershed approach, that will prevent water pollution, reduce flooding,  pull carbon from the atmosphere, and more! 

The main goals of a healthy garden that will act as a watershed are: conservation, permeability, and retention. 

Conserving the use of water and chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, will reduce pollutants running off a landscape and help protect our local water supplies and the ocean. Using native, climate-appropriate plants will allow you to use the least amount of water, capture greenhouse gases, and attract essential life into your gardens while creating habitats. When necessary, use highly efficient irrigation such as a  drip irrigation system that delivers water to the roots, and a “smart” irrigation controller that is programmed to give your plants the right amount of water depending on the type of plants and soil, season, and weather.

Healthy living soil also has the ability to act as a sponge and filter by holding more water and nutrients. This maintains good soil hydration and reduces flooding during storms. Healthy soil can be achieved using organic matter such as compost and worm casting, and mulch.

Lastly, retaining rainwater as a primary source of irrigation is key. It will restore a garden’s natural water resources and replenish groundwater. Rainwater can be retained by contouring landscape to receive rainwater, redirecting gutter downspouts to a vegetated space, or using cisterns and barrels.

If you would like to learn about the California watershed approach in more detail, get information on irrigation systems, and how to transform your garden by taking into consideration our specific Santa Barbara County climate, there are many resources available:

• The Green Gardens Group offers virtual classes with plenty of informative content.
• The Ocean Friendly Gardens program shared a handbook to guide you through the entire process of transforming your garden, and especially how to get a more spongy soil.
• The Santa Barbara Botanical Garden shared an extensive list of water wise native plants you can use for your garden.
• Water Wise in Santa Barbara County also offers resources on irrigation systems, where to get mulch, and sustainable landscaping techniques. This particular webinar highlights the benefits and characteristics of drip irrigation systems.
• Sweetwater Collaborative, a local non-profit organization, offers classes, presentations, and training on water wise education and re-landscaping. You can watch their webinars here on rainwater harvesting and how to assess your landscape.
  

Sources:

• https://www.surfrider.org/programs/ocean-friendly-gardens
• https://greengardensgroup.com/watershed-approach-to-landscaping/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nrF0-u_sU
• https://santabarbaraca.gov/irrigation
• https://www.waterwisesb.org/
• https://sbbotanicgarden.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Water-Wise_Native_Plants_web_optimized.pdf
• https://sbbotanicgarden.org/grow/garden-with-native-plants/
• https://sweetwatercollaborative.org/learn/116-recordings-of-our-101-webinars-from-fall-2020