Soil and Water, Everywhere

It’s supposed to be the rainy season here in Santa Barbara, CA, but instead, it’s been clear skies and relatively low humidity (by my Pacific Northwestern standards, anyway) for weeks. When I think back to the last time it rained, I remember the early days of lockdown—I have the distinct memory of sitting in my new home office (an awkwardly round table dragged into the living room) and watching the rain out the window. I had that familiar inside-when-it's-raining feeling of being somewhat separate from the world but heightened by the chaos and isolation of the early pandemic days.

On second thought, it may have rained once in October or possibly November, but I can’t be sure. Yes, it’s been hard to keep track of time in 2020, but it’s not just that. Last year was a dry one for California and some experts are speculating we may be headed back into a multi-year drought; the last drought in the state only ended in 2019.

Last year, when the first stay-at-home order went into effect, the city paused its street sweeping program and parking enforcement in an effort to encourage less movement from community members. Street sweeping resumed in July, but it was paused once again in December as California’s daily infection rate continued to rise. In addition to the very real threat of COVID-19 in my community, I find myself equally occupied with dry weather flows, when it will rain again, and what we’ll do when it does. Will California be ready? Will we be able to capture and infiltrate some of the much-needed rain, or will we send it all too quickly out to the ocean? And after record-breaking wildfires last summer, what about the burn areas? Are we in for massive mudslides? How much of the debris will we have managed to stabilize?

Amidst all the chaos and worry 2020 brought, the importance of the work of surface water and erosion control professionals was never far from my mind. How could it be? It’s everywhere: Fires, floods, heat waves, municipal infrastructure, rainstorms, climate change, and even a pandemic all impact and are themselves impacted by this industry.

As we close the book on a long, challenging year and step into a new one, I want to take a moment to appreciate all the hardworking professionals in this industry who have continued to protect the quality of our rivers, lakes, and streams, and to keep dirt, soil, and sediment where it belongs. In the face of lockdowns, economic downturn, physical distance requirements, and shrinking budgets, stormwater and erosion control professionals adapted and persevered. After a year like 2020, I think that’s something to celebrate.