On behalf of the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment, Blue Tomorrow partnered with Dr. Arturo Keller from the University of California, Santa Barbara to perform a watershed assessment and environmental sampling of five coastal watersheds in northern Ventura County. The goal of this study was to identify impacts of hydraulic fracturing and oil production operations within the project area.

From fall 2013 to spring 2014 Blue Tomorrow sampled soil, stormwater, and base flow and tested for over 60 constituents that are known to impact human health and the environment. Blue Tomorrow analyzed the concentrations, toxicity, and potential sources of pollutants that were detected in samples. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) screening levels were used to assess the risk to downstream residential and recreational uses. A final report was developed that presented the watershed assessment, sampling and field data, pollutant risk analysis, and source assessment, with recommendations for controlling and monitoring pollutants found in the project area. The study was featured in the Santa Barbara Independent on November 6, 2014.

Project Documents:

NVCCWP Executive Summary & Recommendations (1.06 MB)

NVCCWP Final Report (11.6 MB)

Sampling stormwater runoff from a coastal watershed to determine how sediment, metals, nutrients and salts are changing throughout a three day winter storm.