and stream channel deposits, is found under the steepest portions of the Foothills along the northern face and is considered a possible source for tools and knives of indigenous peoples. Vaqueros Sandstone—formed from shallow marine sediment—supports significant Oak Woodland as well as an aquifer, which in turn supports two springs at SMF.

Passing through these acres on their way to the Pacific are four streams: a small eastern tributary to San Antonio Creek, Atascadero Creek, a persistently wet tributary of Cieneguitas Creek (as yet unnamed; it runs almost the length of the property), and Cieneguitas Creek. From San Marcos Foothills, all water flows to Goleta Slough, percolating into the Goleta groundwater on its journey. The four creeks of San Marcos Foothills represent the far north-eastern contributions to the Goleta Slough. Most of the sediment carried from San Marcos Foothills is deposited in lower Atascadero Creek, whose floodplain issues are perhaps the most contentious in the Goleta Valley.

Throughout the four years of our observations, we see a relative stability roughly measured by the consistent richness of species and the wealth of ecological interactions at San Marcos Foothills. We believe this results from the relative lack of disturbance to the geological formations and soils and the diversity of habitats interspersed with wetlands, despite the disruptive influence of cattle. The aerial photo from 1928 supports this perception. Nevertheless, communities within an ecosystem vary in response to external events, such as weather or the activities of plants and animals within the community. This curious combination of stable conditions and variable and flexible influences contributes to ecosystem complexity.

Now, the San Marcos Foothills Coalition proposes to preserve the land as a refuge in perpetuity. As recognized by the county of Santa Barbara with its policies on conservation, open space planning, and endangered species, preserving species in nature requires the preservation of whole biological communities. It is time officially to recognize the true value of this land—San Marcos Foothills—in its natural state, as a place for people to visit and learn and be refreshed, surely, but especially as a hunting and nesting ground, the rightful home for the county’s oldest inhabitants to continue to live in relative tranquillity.

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