While hiking downstream from Westlake, at Lindero Canyon and the Triunfo Canyon water course, I was appalled at the degree of pollutants present in the stream. The specific location runs along Triunfo Canyon Road. This debris contributes to the demise of our steelhead trout and other natural wildlife that normally inhabit creeks of the Santa Monica Mountains. At one point I counted eight car batteries lying among the rock bank of the stream. These car batteries, some of which had already been broken, have seeped sulfuric acid (a toxin) into the stream and continue to leach lead (another toxin). In addition there were large scraps of polyvinyl plastic and other debris scattered along the stream.
Granted, all the residents living in this remote area are not responsible for this pollution. In fact, some of the residents go as far as grooming and (in some cases to an excess) building dams, while others still use this creek as a dumping ground. I have seen bike parts, old steel pipes, bottles and chunks of concrete, wire fences and other miscellany.
Something must be done about this pollution. I suggest that the adjacent property owners be cited and held responsible for its cleanup. It’s not only Parks and Recreation or Mountain Conservancy’s responsibility to keep a watchful eye. The Department of Building and Safety is also responsible for letting old corroding structures (which are non-permitted fire hazards to begin with) break apart and fall into the stream. As the area is moderately inaccessible the pollution is easily overlooked. As a result there have been no efforts to remedy the problem.
Let’s start cleaning up our precious streams. If you’re hiking in these areas, carry out your bottles and beer cans and, if you see something on your hike, then pick it up. It’s easier to carry out an empty bottle then it is to carry in a full one. The Triunfo Canyon feeds right through the Peter Strauss Ranch, Century Lake, Malibu Lake, and into the Malibu Creek State Park. Pollutants bleed into Malibu Creek and into the Santa Monica Bay at the Malibu Lagoon State Park; a favorite wetland bird sanctuary and surfing spot.
Howard Bilow