Ecology has served as the Principal Ecologist and Project Manager for the Santa Barbara Streams and Estuaries Bioassessment Program since its inception in 2000.  The Program is a long-term effort funded by both the County of Santa Barbara and City of Santa Barbara to monitor the biological integrity of streams and estuaries in Santa Barbara County, and evaluate the effectiveness of ongoing efforts to improve water quality and restore stream and estuary habitats.  Ecology has worked closely with the County and City over the years to develop and refine the Program design and scope, which involves the collection of physiochemical and biological data including benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) samples from 30 to 40 streams and estuaries each year using rapid bioassessment protocols.  BMI samples are analyzed in our laboratory to determine the taxonomy and abundance of the BMIs collected, and numerous BMI community “core metrics” relating to taxonomic diversity, disturbance sensitivity, and trophic structure.  Core metric values are is used to provide a score of biological integrity for each study site using the Indexes of Biotic Integrity (IBIs) that Ecology created specifically for Santa Barbara streams and estuaries. By translating complex BMI data into an easily understood score of biological integrity, the IBI serves as a powerful tool for communicating the ecological status of local streams and estuaries, and an important basis of watershed management decisions. 

Link to 2025 report

Ecology served as the Principal Ecologist and Project Manager for the Sinaloa Lake Habitat Restoration Project. The project involved the restoration of approximately six acres of wetland, riparian, and upland habitats along the fringe of Sinaloa Lake, a private lake located in Simi Valley, California. The habitat restoration project was required per the conditions of regulatory permits that allowed the repair and refilling of the lake in 1999. The lake had been empty since the mid-1980’s due to a breaching of the dam, and became overgrown with dense riparian vegetation. Ecology staff developed a plant palette and planting plan for the restoration project, collected native plant cuttings and seeds, ordered container plants, recruited landscape contractors, directed planting crews, monitored the restored habitat areas, directed remedial efforts to achieve restoration requirements, and prepared annual habitat monitoring reports. Ecology worked closely with state and federal agencies to ensure that the project complied with all regulatory permit requirements including the Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 Wetlands Permit, CWA Section 401 Water Quality Certification, and California Fish and Game Code Section 1601/1603 Stream/Lake Alteration Agreement. All restoration requirements were achieved after 5 years of restoration efforts and monitoring.    
In addition to oversight of the habitat restoration project, Ecology conducted quarterly water quality monitoring and collected water samples at the lake via boat for a wide range of constituents including dissolved oxygen, pH, clarity, conductivity, nutrients, heavy metals, and hydrocarbons. Ecology evaluated the quarterly monitoring data to determine whether the lake water meets regulatory standards for water contact recreational use, and prepared annual water quality reports for submission to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board in compliance with the lake’s 401 Water Quality Certification.  

Ecology conducted a steelhead trout population and habitat assessment study in Carpinteria Creek near Santa Barbara, California. The study was part of the Carpinteria Creek watershed assessment and restoration effort conducted by the Cachuma Resources Conservation District and Carpinteria Creeks Coalition. Carpinteria Creek is one of the most promising streams for steelhead recovery in Santa Barbara County. Ecology assessed physical habitat conditions and steelhead trout abundance and age structure in Carpinteria Creek and tributaries Gobernador Creek and Steer Creek using protocols from the California Department of Fish and Game’s Salmonid Stream Restoration Manual. Ecology also conducted a literature review to compile relevant data from previous studies. Finally, Ecology prepared a written report to present data collected and assess habitat conditions and the steelhead population in the Carpinteria Creek watershed based on the available information. Analysis software developed by the Department of Fish and Game was used to guide the assessment. Besides providing an indication of existing conditions, the study was intended to serve as a point of comparison for future stream restoration monitoring efforts in the watershed.  

Ecology conducted a study to assess aquatic and terrestrial wildlife use and habitat values at six stream reaches in the Arroyo Simi watershed of Simi Valley, California. In addition to literature research, Ecology completed rapid bioassessments at the six stream reaches using the California Stream Bioassessment Procedure (CSBP). Ecology conducted field surveys including the collection of BMI samples, water chemistry monitoring and physical habitat assessment, and completed laboratory sorting and taxonomic identification of BMI samples. Proper QA/QC of BMI sample identifications was completed per California Aquatic Bioassessment Laboratory (CABL) requirements. Based on the data collected, each stream reach was assessed in terms of wildlife habitat values, wildlife species composition, and limiting natural and human factors. A report was prepared to document the findings of the study, which were used by the Ventura County Watershed Protection District to evaluate how habitat conditions and wildlife communities are affected by the operation and maintenance of flood control structures and other anthropogenic stressors.  
Biological Resources Studies, Coastal Zone in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange County

For two years Ecology served as For the Sake of the Salmon’s (FSOS’s) Salmonid Recovery Coordinator for southern California. FSOS was a regional non-profit organization whose mission was to restore salmonids of the Pacific Coast to levels that ensure healthy, sustainable natural populations and support productive fisheries. The California Salmonid Recovery Coordinator Program was supported by funds from the State of California and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. As the Coordinator, Ecology helped local watershed groups develop the capacity to implement projects that protect and restore steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) populations and habitat in coastal California from San Diego north to San Luis Obispo. Ecology accomplished this by helping watershed groups in several areas including organizational development, networking with fisheries professionals, steelhead habitat assessment, obtaining funding for steelhead restoration projects, and steelhead restoration project design, permitting, and implementation. Through this contract, Ecology gave valuable one-on-one assistance to dozens of watershed groups, provided workshops on stream habitat assessment and restoration, assessed steelhead habitat in several streams including the Ventura River and Santa Clara River, and helped local environmental groups obtain more than $3 million in state and federal funding to preserve and restore critical steelhead habitat.