Storms hinder cleanup efforts in Cambria 

Winter storms have caused nearly 120 trees to fall on the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve and other open space properties since December 2022.

On March 16, Carlos Mendoza, who heads up the Cambria Community Services District (CSD) Facilities and Resources Department, gave the district board update on cleanup efforts.

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• Photo Courtesy Of Carlos Mendoza
• SWEPT AWAY The Cambria Community Services District's Facilities and Resources Department was inundated with 5.5 feet of water during the storms that occurred between March 9 and 14.

"So just on the preserve itself, I think we're over 100 trees that have uprooted that have come down on trails or that have created a hazard for the public or people that live next to the Fiscalini Ranch, so we've had to spend a significant amount of time out," Mendoza said. "Closing trails for days, inspecting trails, hiring contractors to come out and help us to bring down those trees."

Cambria was hit by 8.4 inches of rain between March 9 and 14, according to SLO County rainfall data. The biggest storm, which dropped more than 4 inches of rain on March 10, caused Santa Rosa Creek to rise rapidly, flooding downtown Cambria and the CSD Facilities and Resources property on Rodeo Grounds Road. Flooding also led to multiple trail closures on the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, with the latest closure being the Santa Rosa Creek Trail, according to Friends of Fiscalini Ranch Preserve Executive Director Kitty Connolly.

Connolly said that the fallen trees aren't a bad thing, due to their life expectancy.

"So, what they've done is they're falling, and they're leaving space for new trees," Connolly said. "We hate to lose a mature tree, but it's just part of the cycle."

In anticipation of rising water levels at Santa Rosa Creek, volunteers with the Friends of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve sprang into action on March 10 to protect the Monterey pine saplings, which are used to help conserve the Monterey pine groves in Cambria. The saplings were initially housed in a nursery located at the Facilities and Resources Department, an area that was eventually covered with nearly 5.5 feet of water, according to Mendoza. It flooded the entire yard, offices, and shop, Mendoza told New Times.

"One of the main things that we're trying to work on right now is to secure the facility back up. We had maybe half if not three-quarters of the fence around that yard damaged or collapsed," Mendoza said. "The other item that's part of the yard is the water department's pump station. So there's critical infrastructure there that needs to be protected."

The saplings and nursery were safely moved to higher ground, Connolly told New Times. But the continuing storms have created an additional hurdle when it comes to the level of cleanup work the department can do, including using chainsaws and ropes to bring down uprooted trees throughout Cambria.

"We bring down the trees and the debris is now on the ground. It's so saturated right now that there's no way for us to bring a truck or a chipper or any type of equipment out there," Mendoza said. "It'll be months before the ground dries up enough that we're able to safely bring crews out to bring the equipment both to do the work but also not to damage the ranch itself." Δ