Water Rising in Rustic and Santa Monica Canyons

By Laurel Busby

News & Information Editor

The water levels in the lower Canyon watershed have risen substantially this morning due to heavy rain, Boca resident Sharon Kilbride said.

“This early in the game for the creek to have that much water is concerning,” Kilbride said. “If it continues to come out as hard as it did earlier this morning, we would have some problems.”

Around 10 a.m., Kilbride recorded a video of the juncture where the creeks along both Rustic and Santa Monica Canyons combine between Short St. and Channel Lane. The rain began to taper off to a less heavy and more sustainable level afterwards, but she still had concerns for Upper Rustic Canyon.

Since the walls of the flood channel in Rustic Canyon are shorter, flooding can happen more easily there, Kilbride said. In February, six homes got covered in mud during a downpour that wasn’t as strong as the current one.

“I’ve been here all my entire life, and it was a high amount of water if it continued at that rate,” Kilbride said. “Those people in Rustic Canyon need to take a look at their creeks and make sure it is not going over. I just want to keep them abreast. It’s pretty damned forceful. I don’t know what Mother Nature has in store for us. … I just hope and pray that we get through the holidays.”

Residents should call 311 if they notice any flooding issues so that emergency crews can respond. According to Arus Grigoryan, a senior field deputy for Councilmember Traci Park, the Emergency Management Department has been activated and its crews are following reports to 311.