The winter storms of 2023 and 2024 caused serious damage throughout Ellwood including the access road at the end of Santa Barbara Shores Drive and a significant number of trees. 

Access Road
The access road at the end of Santa Barbara Shores Drive is a critical entry route for emergency response and city maintenance vehicles. The culvert at Devereux Creek was damaged in 2023 and a temporary fix of asphalt and steel plates was installed. Additional damage occurred in 2024 and the City completed repairs in July 2024. For more information, see City News: Ellwood Mesa Emergency Access Road Reopens.

Storm Damaged Trees
Work to clear hazardous trees continues throughout the grove. The City and our consultants identify trees that fell or are at risk of falling after each significant storm. Our butterfly specialists, Althouse & Meade, monitor and guide tree removals within the monarch aggregation sites to ensure no damage is caused by tree removal activities. Outside the aggregation sites, Rincon Consultants' International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) arborists monitor tree removals to ensure impacts to other sensitive resources are avoided.