Assessing the Health of Southern California Streams

There are over 4,200 miles of perennial streams in the coastal watersheds of Southern California. Effective protection and management of these resources require an understanding of their overall health (or condition) and the major stressors that affect their condition. In 2009, major municipalities and counties and their state/federal regulatory counterparts got together to conduct the first comprehensive assessment of the health of streams in Southern California. The first year of a five year program was a great success: Over 120 sites were sampled and analyzed for biological community characteristics, chemical parameters, aquatic toxicity, and physical habitat condition.