Orange County tests herbicide-free creek clearing as candidates dispute credit

Orange County is testing mechanical vegetation removal instead of herbicide spraying along San Juan and Trabuco creeks under a one-year pilot, according to Voice of OC. The change follows pressure from Creek Team activists and has become an issue in the Fifth District supervisors race.

The pilot puts a different maintenance approach to work as the county clears vegetation to improve flood capacity before winter storms. Voice of OC cited public records in attributing the shift primarily to residents who challenged spraying practices, billing documentation and public notice.

Voice of OC described herbicide-free clearing near Descanso Park and San Juan Capistrano City Hall earlier in October. About a dozen workers were involved in the intensive operation, cutting vegetation and processing it through wood chippers while native plant cuttings were prepared for replanting. Biologists and environmental specialists monitored the work.

The limited pilot followed the rejection of Supervisor Katrina Foley’s proposed countywide herbicide ban. Supervisors Don Wagner, Janet Nguyen and Doug Chaffee voted against that proposal, according to Voice of OC. Wagner then successfully proposed suspending spraying on the two creeks for one year.

Foley, the Democratic incumbent, and Republican Assemblywoman Diane Dixon are competing for the Fifth District seat. Foley has claimed credit for challenging spraying and seeking to cancel contracts, but Voice of OC reported that she voted for herbicide spraying contracts in 2021 and 2022. She established a study subcommittee after a March town hall; Creek Team members were added only recently, the publication reported.

Activists credited Dixon with meeting promptly and supporting their goals. Voice of OC said the result of her follow-up with regulatory agencies remained unclear. The group’s concerns included incomplete spraying invoices, insufficient public notice and the county’s position on whether habitat restoration could coexist with flood control.

Flood protection remains central to the county’s work. Voice of OC reported that OC Public Works Deputy Director Amanda Carr warned in a February email that restoring natural habitat in the section under discussion would put nearby residents at risk of flooding. County personnel also confirmed that herbicides had been used for years to thin vegetation.

The work also faces a downstream constraint: According to Voice of OC’s account, county officials at the site identified the Pacific Coast Highway bridge over San Juan Creek as the largest impediment to water flow.