Proyecto de sustitución del embalse de Vic Trace

La División de Recursos Hídricos del Departamento de Obras Públicas de la Ciudad de Santa Bárbara tiene previsto sustituir el depósito de agua potable de Vic Trace. El depósito se construyó originalmente en 1952 como un depósito de hormigón parcialmente enterrado de 10 millones de galones utilizado para el almacenamiento de agua potable tratada, convirtiéndose en el depósito más grande de la ciudad. Situado en el vecindario de Alta Mesa, este embalse sirve como un componente vital del sistema de distribución de agua de la ciudad, sirviendo a casi 60,000 personas o aproximadamente el 70% de la población de Santa Bárbara.

La ciudad de Santa Bárbara se ha comprometido a invertir en su infraestructura de agua, incluidas las instalaciones antiguas como las de el embalse Vic Trace, para garantizar un sistema de agua seguro y resistente para la comunidad ahora y en el futuro. Este proyecto plurianual diseña y construye un nuevo embalse de la misma capacidad capaz de satisfacer las necesidades futuras de calidad, resistencia y fiabilidad del agua. Las tuberías, válvulas y estaciones de bombeo cercanas también se evaluarán para su reparación y sustitución. Además de proporcionar mejoras significativas en el funcionamiento del agua, este depósito de almacenamiento de agua actualizado incluirá una mayor resistencia a los desastres naturales y al cambio climático, una mejor configuración para un funcionamiento más eficiente y una mayor seguridad.

La evaluación medioambiental de la fase 1 del proyecto se completó en otoño de 2023. El diseño del Proyecto y los contratos medioambientales de la fase 2 se aprobaron en el Ayuntamiento el 14 de mayo de 2024. A medida que este proyecto avanza, la ciudad se compromete a llevar a cabo un proceso abierto y transparente que involucre a los residentes y a las empresas cercanas a lo largo de las fases de diseño, revisión ambiental y construcción del proyecto. Esto incluye un sólido proceso de comunicación y divulgación pública, incluida la solicitud de comentarios a través de talleres comunitarios y otras actividades de participación durante las fases de diseño y ambiental.  Se prevé que las reuniones públicas comiencen ya en el invierno de 2025. 

Los nuevos embalses de almacenamiento de agua cumplirán las normas sísmicas actuales y contarán con tecnología y sistemas actualizados, que requerirán menos recursos para su funcionamiento, lo que contribuirá a aumentar la eficiencia general del sistema de suministro de agua y a mejorar su calidad, haciéndolo más económico para todos.

Sustituir el embalse de Vic Trace también significa mantener la capacidad de la ciudad para almacenar una gran cantidad de agua a nivel local, que es un elemento clave de la estrategia de Santa Bárbara para seguir siendo más resistente y resistente a las emergencias locales u otros problemas relacionados con el cambio climático (es decir, tormentas, incendios forestales).

Por último, el proyecto abordará las normativas federales actualizadas que exigen una seguridad más robusta para las infraestructuras hídricas (como se indica en la Ley estadounidense de infraestructuras hídricas). La ciudad está comprometida con la seguridad de su suministro de agua potable, incluidas las infraestructuras e instalaciones asociadas.

Upcoming CEQA Environmental Impact Review Meetings

Join us at two upcoming public meetings for the Vic Trace Project where the team will present a status update and proposed environmental impacts to be studied for the Project in the EIR. These meetings provide an opportunity for the public to participate and provide comments on the Project’s CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) process and documentation.

• December 3, 2025 – Vic Trace CEQA Public Scoping Meeting 
  Where? Louise Lowry Davis Center, 111 W. Victoria Street
  When? 5:30-7:00 PM
                  5:45 PM – Presentation
                  6:15 PM – Open House
                  7:00 PM – End of Meeting
   
• December 4, 2025 – Virtual Vic Trace CEQA Public Scoping Meeting 
  Register for the meeting here
  When? 5:30 - 6:00 PM
  *Recording will be available on Project website after meeting

CEQA Vic Trace Meeting Flyer

Proposed Tree Removal Meetings

City staff will be presenting to the Committee the proposed trees on the site to be removed and replaced as part of the Project. Presentation materials are provided in the Proposed Tree Removal section below. 

• December 4, 2025 - Street Tree Advisory Committee 
  The meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. on December 4, 2025, at the Parks Office at 402 E. Ortega Street. 
   
• December 17, 2025 - Parks and Recreation Commission 
  After presenting to the Street Tree Advisory Committee on December 4, 2025, City staff will give the same presentation to the Parks and Recreation Commission for their  feedback on the proposed tree removals and replacements as part of the Project. The  meeting will be held at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall at 735 Anacapa Street. 

Past Public Meetings:
May 18, 2023 – Water Commission Presentation
April 18, 2024 – Water Commission Presentation
March 20, 2025 – Water Commission Presentation
May 1, 2025 – Community Engagement Workshop
May 7, 2025 – Community Engagement Webinar
June 9, 2025 – Architectural Board of Review
August 19, 2025- City Council Presentation
October 16, 2025- Water Commission Presentation 

CEQA Initial Study Comment Period  
The public is invited to provide comments on the Project’s CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) Initial Study. The Project’s describes the Project’s possible environmental and other resources impacts, such as construction noise and traffic. City staff are seeking public comments and feedback to ensure the City has considered all the environmental issues that should be studied in the EIR. 

Formal comments on the Project may be submitted in one of the three methods listed below.  

• By email to VicTrace@SantaBarbaraCA.gov    
• By mail to:  City of Santa Barbara Public Works Department  
  Attn: Vic Trace Reservoir Replacement Project  
  PO BOX 1990 Santa Barbara, CA 93102
• Submitting a written commend card by attending the in-person meeting on December 3 (note attendance at the meeting is not required to submit comments via email or by mail).  

The public scoping period ends on December 18, 2025. Scoping comments must be postmarked or submitted electronically no later than 5:00 p.m. on December 18, 2025.  

To construct the Vic Trace Reservoir Replacement Project, 56 of 108 trees are proposed to be removed and replaced at the Vic Trace Reservoir site. City staff will be presenting proposed tree removals and replacements and will receive feedback from the City’s Street Tree Advisory Committee and Parks and Recreation Commission (see meeting details listed above in Public Meetings). Any feedback provided will be incorporated into the Project’s CEQA EIR and into final design.

Our goal is to retain as many trees on the site as possible. However, due to the construction footprint required for replacing the reservoir and aging pipelines, 56 trees are proposed to be removed and replaced. Feedback will be incorporated into the Project’s design and environmental documents. Locations, species, and a preliminary landscaping plan are provided below: 

• Proposed Tree Removal Map
• Proposed Tree Removal Table
• Project Preliminary Drawings and Landscape Plan
• Tree Removal and Replacement Presentation 

•    Victor “Vic” Trace was a pivotal figure in the early development of Santa Barbara’s municipal water system in the early 20th century. Trace was born in Springfield, Missouri in 1872 and came to Santa Barbara as a young boy in 1883. 
•    Trace was appointed Water Superintendent in 1900 by Mayor Charles A. Storke and one of the City's first Water Commissioners, Eugene Sheffield. 
•    Under Trace’s leadership, Santa Barbara advanced major projects including the construction of Mission Tunnel through the Santa Ynez Mountains (1904-1911) and oversight of the Gibraltar Dam (1920) building the foundation for the City to develop and thrive for generations. To this day, it serves as the most reliable and affordable source of water for the City. 
•    His policy as superintendent was quoted in the Santa Barbara News Press in 1937 as, “to furnish the city and its residents with a plentiful supply of pure, clear water at a low cost.” 
•    Although Trace’s long tenure as an employee ended in 1935, Trace went on to serve as an advisor/consultant to the City until his death in 1937.  His legacy lives on in the City’s Vic Trace Reservoir, built in his honor in the 1950s.
•    Trace’s career marked the transformation of Santa Barbara from a small coastal town with limited water resources into a municipality with engineered water storage, tunnel and dam systems capable of supporting modern growth. 
•    Other interesting facts about Victor Trace:
            -The City Mayor in the 1930s attempted to arrest him and the police chief refused
            -From 1900-1930 City water revenue increased from $6,000/year to $250,000/year
            -He lived on East Islay Street
 

Victor Trace

Victor Trace and his brothers, sisters, and parents.