Along with being an exciting thing to witness, the heavy rains, storm surges, and abnormal high tides of winter serve as an important educational tool. They can give us a glance of what our region will look like as the sea level rises and climate change influenced extreme weather events become more common. . .

In 1999, during the earliest days of HTO, someone came into our office with a vial of putrid water collected from the wall of the 101 freeway south onramp at Garden Street. We had it tested – and the bacterial readings were off the charts. The odors in this area were well known to Santa Barbara residents, especially the employees at the Home Improvement Center, who told us they got nauseous breathing the fumes. . .

Over the weekend, President Obama signed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Bill, designed to fund a number of water projects across the nation. While this bill will undoubtedly have an effect on California's water supplies, many are wondering what those effects will be, why this bill was so contentious for Californian lawmakers, and what shape it can take under a Trump presidency. . .

HTO was able to attend the monthly meeting of the Santa Barbara Water Commission this morning, and received some great updates on the drought facing Santa Barbara and the future plans for our local water supply. Here's a few topics that were covered during the meeting . . .

Last week, Heal the Ocean had the opportunity to attend the monthly meeting of the Santa Barbara Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) and give public comment.

We have been working to find a solution to the septic woes of Los Olivos for a number of years, and we have recently been advocating for the Santa Ynez Community Service District (CSD) to include Los Olivos in its sphere of influence so that it can provide the town with necessary sewer infrastructure and services. . .

HTO Thanks Our REALLY BIG SHOW Sponsors!

With the recent Presidential Election shifting the working environmental landscape, we want to keep you updated more than once a month with the news we’re getting, the meetings we’re participating in. There is already encouraging news about the planning already being done by environmental groups working under the new Administration. We hope you find the reports as positive as we have. . .

It's official: the lineup for HTO's Annual Celebration has been set: Marilyn Monroe & Liza Minnelli, impersonated by the same actress - will join Frank Sinatra (Monty Aidem) on October 22, 2016 at HTO's Annual celebration at the El Paseo Restaurant. With Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the honorary chair of this event, HTO continues its tradition of being "the funnest party of the year”. . .

Heal the Ocean is asking that you help a massive letter-writing campaign to the State of California to support the designation of state funds to cap the leaking Becker Oil well in Summerland!

After you read this message, please click on the sample letter, fill it out and/or personalize it as you will, and e-mail it back to us so that we can put all the letters together to go to the appropriate office in Sacramento in April.

Heal the Ocean is very excited to announce that our own Heather Hudson, HTO Board Member and Events director, has produced a film,“Women and the Waves 2” that is an official selection at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival in the Central Coast Filmmakers Showcase!

We at Heal the Ocean have read the March 7, 2016 Los Angeles Times article “Deadly superbugs from hospitals get strong in the sewers and could end up in the Pacific Ocean.” We have also read the repeat of this story in the March 9, 2016 Santa Barbara News-Press with the headline “Superbug in sewage puts surfers’ health at risk.”