Site AT1: Atascadero Creek
at Ward Drive.

To get to AT1 from Hollister Rd., turn towards the ocean on Ward Drive. Go all the way to the end and park on the side of the road. Walk past the road barrier and across the bike path, Atascadero Creek will be straight in front of you. Our sampling site is a short distance to your left (upstream), above the small concrete dam. The bank is very steep here and you have to carefully pick you way down one of the foot trails. Atascadero is the largest creek in the Santa Barbara area and the greatest exporter of nutrients and sediment into the ocean. At AT1, we sample just above the dam, which separates fresh creek water from the tidal influenced and brackish Goleta Slough (the term "brackish" refers to a mixture of salt and fresh water). Besides AT1 being the only feasible location for measuring the total output of Atascadero, there is appreciable agricultural use along the creek between here and the next upstream sampling point (AT2 at Patterson). Comparing these two sites helps evaluate these agricultural inputs and the affect of the dam (which turns this section of the creek into a long skinny lake). During storms AT1 site is very dangerous due to deep high velocity flows and has to be sampled with a cup or sample bottle attached to an extension rod.

For a more in-depth description of AT1,
click here

Go upstream to Site AT2

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