Goleta Slough Access Request
The Goleta Slough State Ecological Reserve is a sensitive habitat area that can be easily disturbed by human intrusion. Furthermore, a significant portion of the Slough lies within the secure Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) Airport Operations Area (AOA), where public access must be restricted due to Federal security regulations. Accordingly, the Airport and Goleta Slough Local Coastal Program (LCP) limit public access to the Slough to activities including:
1. Security of the Airport;
2. Maintenance of the Slough for flood control and mosquito abatement purposes; and
3. Education and research.
Santa Barbara Municipal Code (SBMC) § 18.08.070 restricts access to the portion of Goleta Slough within the AOA to individuals granted a permit by the Principal Project Manager of the Airport. Further, per SBMC § 29.25.040, individuals or groups wishing to enter Goleta Slough who are not employees of the City of Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Flood Control District, the California Department of Fish and Game, or the Santa Barbara Coastal Vector Control District are required to complete a research release, indemnity, and assumption of risk agreement.
People or organizations requesting access shall submit an application to SBA staff at least three working weeks prior to the first date of requested access. Access to portions of the Slough within the AOA will be strictly limited to those individuals or organizations conducting research or educational activities that can only be carried out within the restricted portion of the Slough. If the activities can reasonably be carried out in portions of the Slough outside the AOA, SBA staff will request that the individual or organization carry out the activities in a non-restricted area.
Research and data gathered in these visits shall be shared with Airport staff and the Goleta Slough Management Committee, if applicable.
For more information on the permit process, please email the Airport Planner.