Site AT2: Atascadero Creek
at Patterson Avenue

From Hollister Avenue, turn towards the ocean on Patterson. Park at the open space (on the right hand side) between the bike path and the bridge and walk down to the creek along the bridge abutment. The sampling location is under the bridge, but there's a complication. The bridge marks the junction of the two major branches of Atascadero: Atascadero itself, and Maria Ygnacio Creek. The center bridge pier is the dividing line: before the pier is Maria Ygnacio, past the pier is Atascadero. We sample both creeks at this location. Sampling them separately (AT2 and MY1) is valuable because each represents a different kind or creek with different land uses. The Atascadero branch is unusual because it's a "short" creek - it doesn't go up to the crest of the mountains but has it's origins just above Cathedral Oaks Road. We get a pure pollution signal from suburban Santa Barbara at this location: residential housing, commercial uses around Hollister and Modoc, and the Hidden Oaks Golf Course.

Go upstream to Site AT3
Go downstream to Site AT1
Go next door to Site MY1

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