Cal Poly to pay for creek cleanup

SLO Tribune 2/8/07

By David Sneed

Cal Poly has agreed to pay for the rehabilitation of nearly half an acre along Stenner Creek as part of a settlement announced this week for violating clean-water rules last year.

University officials agreed to pay $60,000 in fines to state water quality officials after inspections in April showed that wastewater from the school’s livestock unit was polluting Brizzolara Creek, a small waterway that flows through the campus.

The money will be used to revegetate 0.42 acres along Stenner Creek, a different waterway that runs through an agricultural part of the campus known as Cheda Ranch.

The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County will perform the work and monitor the results.

The project calls for stabilizing an eroding bank and replanting the area with native shrubs and trees.

The work is designed to improve the wildlife habitat of the creek, particularly for threatened steelhead trout that spawn in the creek.

Cal Poly disposes of wastewater from its dairy and swine units by using it to irrigate pastures.

On several occasions in April, the wastewater was sprinkled on pastures during a rainstorm, causing the tainted water to flow into the creek rather than soak into the ground, according to a complaint filed by water officials.