Orange County officials have “indefinitely” stopped spraying herbicide in two creeks that flow out to Doheny State Beach, under a year-long pilot program launched this month.
OC Public Works crews have ceased applying chemicals in San Juan and Trabuco creeks and will switch to “mechanical and manual methods” of clearing foliage, Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foley said. At the end of the year, she said, the county will evaluate the costs and effectiveness of the new approach and consider adopting the program in other parts of its territory.
The mouth of San Juan Creek where it empties in to the Pacific Ocean in Dana Point, CA, on Monday, March 2, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The mouth of San Juan Creek where it empties in to the Pacific Ocean in Dana Point, CA, on Monday, March 2, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The mouth of San Juan Creek where it empties in to the Pacific Ocean in Dana Point, CA, on Monday, March 2, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The mouth of San Juan Creek where it empties in to the Pacific Ocean in Dana Point, CA, on Monday, March 2, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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The mouth of San Juan Creek where it empties in to the Pacific Ocean in Dana Point, CA, on Monday, March 2, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
“My hope is we get to the table and take field trips to look at what our other communities are doing,” Foley said.
Residents recently mounted a social media campaign against herbicide use in waterways, which they argue has destroyed local ecosystems and turned the once-lush creek beds barren.
Brent Linas, a resident who founded the community group Creek Team OC, called the county’s decision to stop using herbicide in the two creeks a “a huge victory” for the community.
“The city, the town, residents will never allow them to spray that creek again,” Linas said. “The county needs to come clean with what they’ve been doing without our consent.”
Linas has filed dozens of public records requests about herbicide usage in local creeks and posted the findings on Creek Team OC’s Instagram page, which has amassed more than 8,000 followers since early February.
The group said the records request indicates the county sprays “more than 100,000 gallons” annually of herbicide, such as glyphosate, triclopyr and imazapyr, and argues there has not been proper oversight or public notice.
The grassroots campaign against herbicide application in creeks — which led to a heated town hall on March 3 — has brought attention to how OC Public Works manages the county’s 380 miles of flood channels, and whether crews can both mitigate flood risk and preserve natural ecosystems.
Foley said she’s long supported taking an organic, non-toxic approach to removing vegetation. But she said it’s a “balancing act” to preserve naturally occurring ecosystems and keep residents and properties safe from floods.
OC Public Works officials did not respond to a request for comment.
In the meantime, Foley said she’s forming an advisory committee to make recommendations for integrated pest management, which governs pesticide use in the county. The county has outlined updated practices for other flood channels, including avoiding herbicide application during bird nesting and trout spawning season.
County officials have said that herbicide use is a necessary tool to control foliage growth in waterways in order to manage storm risk.
Pushing back against that idea, Linas and other residents argue that San Diego County allows native vegetation and habitat restoration to stabilize its waterways.
The San Juan and Trabuco creeks have “existed for hundreds of thousands of years and supported the growth of San Juan Capistrano,” Linas said. “The county unilaterally decided it’s infrastructure, and our assertion is that it’s just absolute rubbish.”
The Creek Team will next take their advocacy to the Santa Ana River, Linas said. “We’re highlighting a grave injustice against people of Orange County.”
He said the group has already filed many public records requests and will be posting educational videos.