{"id":220874,"date":"2026-03-15T15:22:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T15:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/220874\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T15:22:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T15:22:09","slug":"orange-county-stops-herbicide-use-in-two-local-creeks-as-residents-raise-concerns-orange-county-register","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/220874\/","title":{"rendered":"Orange County stops herbicide use in two local creeks as residents raise concerns \u2013 Orange County Register"},"content":{"rendered":"

Orange County officials have \u201cindefinitely\u201d stopped spraying herbicide in two creeks that flow out to Doheny State Beach, under a year-long pilot program launched this month.<\/p>\n

OC Public Works crews have ceased applying chemicals in San Juan and Trabuco creeks and will switch to \u201cmechanical and manual methods\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

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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)\n<\/p>\n

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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)\n<\/p>\n

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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)\n<\/p>\n

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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)\n<\/p>\n

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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)\n<\/p>\n

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\u201cMy hope is we get to the table and take field trips to look at what our other communities are doing,\u201d Foley said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Brent Linas, a resident who founded the community group Creek Team OC, called the county\u2019s decision to stop using herbicide in the two creeks a \u201ca huge victory\u201d for the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe city, the town, residents will never allow them to spray that creek again,\u201d Linas said. \u201cThe county needs to come clean with what they\u2019ve been doing without our consent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Linas has filed dozens of public records requests about herbicide usage in local creeks and posted the findings on Creek Team OC\u2019s Instagram page,<\/a> which has amassed more than 8,000 followers since early February.<\/p>\n

The group said the records request indicates the county sprays \u201cmore than 100,000 gallons\u201d annually of herbicide, such as glyphosate, triclopyr and imazapyr, and argues there has not been proper oversight or public notice.<\/p>\n

The grassroots campaign against herbicide application in creeks \u2014 which led to a heated town hall on March 3 \u2014 has brought attention to how OC Public Works manages the county\u2019s 380 miles of flood channels<\/a>, and whether crews can both mitigate flood risk and preserve natural ecosystems.<\/p>\n

Foley said she\u2019s long supported taking an organic, non-toxic approach to removing vegetation. But she said it\u2019s a \u201cbalancing act\u201d to preserve naturally occurring ecosystems and keep residents and properties safe from floods.<\/p>\n

OC Public Works officials did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, Foley said she\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

County officials have said that herbicide use is a necessary tool to control foliage growth in waterways in order to manage storm risk.<\/p>\n

Pushing back against that idea, Linas and other residents argue that San Diego County allows native vegetation and habitat restoration to stabilize its waterways.<\/p>\n

The San Juan and Trabuco creeks have \u201cexisted for hundreds of thousands of years and supported the growth of San Juan Capistrano,\u201d Linas said. \u201cThe county unilaterally decided it\u2019s infrastructure, and our assertion is that it\u2019s just absolute rubbish.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Creek Team will next take their advocacy to the Santa Ana River, Linas said. \u201cWe\u2019re highlighting a grave injustice against people of Orange County.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the group has already filed many public records requests and will be posting educational videos.<\/p>\n

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