Carbon [Canyon] Creek Cleanup Commencing Cuikly

According to a neighbor, it appears that tomorrow work will begin on a project to remove weeds, dead plant material and other items from Carbon [Canyon] Creek within the Chino Hills portion of that watercourse. 

This came after a recent meeting among representatives from the City of Chino Hills, the Santa Ana Watershed Authority, and the Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council to discuss the hazards associated with debris causing the water level in the creek to rise and causing cave-ins of Carbon Canyon Road as well as dead plant material posing a risk of fire during the drier seasons of the year.

The Santa Ana Watershed Authority, which has also overseen work to remove arundo in the creek on the Brea side of the Canyon and which apparently will also be involved in taking out the few areas on the Chino Hills portion in which the invasive plant grows, has the permits in place from the California Department of Fish and Game to allow the removal of debris to go forward.  The City of Chino Hills, which owns the land in and around the creek, will be providing the personnel and equipment for the project. 

This long overdue work, however, would not have taken place if not for the dedication and perseverence of members of the Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council who are also residents of the Sleepy Hollow community.  As these persons have pointed out at Fire Safe Council meetings, the city has conducted cleanup work in the past to keep the creek clear, but this important task has been neglected in recent years.  Let's hope that it won't be another several years or a decade before the question of keeping one of the few natural watercourses in the city clean arises again and that some sort of general maintenance plan can be formulated and, more importantly, adhered to.