Orange County, California Moves to Phase Out Herbicide Use in Creeks

Laguna Beach officials asked the Orange County Board of Supervisors to add Aliso Creek to its pilot program that seeks to eliminate synthetic herbicides from flood‑control channels. The board previously approved a plan to stop herbicide applications in San Juan and Trabuco Creeks after resident protests and petitions. Laguna Beach council members, including Hallie Jones, urged the board to consider Aliso Creek and later Laguna Canyon Creek, citing health concerns and successful herbicide‑free vegetation control despite higher costs.

Independent testing conducted a year and a half after the county halted glyphosate spraying detected trace amounts of glyphosate and its breakdown product AMPA in water and sediment at downstream sites such as Doheny State Beach and the Santa Ana River outlet. The testing, performed by an Iowa lab after local labs declined samples, confirmed that residues remain in the environment despite the cessation of applications. Public pressure from groups like Creek Team OC and statements from Supervisor Katrina Foley highlighted the county’s commitment to using only State Water Board and EPA‑approved herbicides for flood control.