Along Las Virgenes Creek in Calabasas, passers-by now have a better chance of spotting a deer or turtle rather than trash or graffiti along its banks.

The artery within the Malibu watershed was recently liberated from its concrete shell - installed over three decades ago as a flood control measure - and will once again serve as a habitat-friendly haven for wildlife in the middle of a bustling urban pocket.

"Communities are starting to realize that these natural waterways should not be turned into sewers. They have multi-objective significance," said Sydney Temple, civil engineer and hydrologist with Questa Engineering Corp., an environmental consulting firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area that assisted the city of Calabasas with the restoration project located near Las Virgenes and Agoura roads.

Since the 1950s, the Los Angeles basin's natural waterways adjacent to developments have regularly been converted to cemented flood control channels to allow rapid water removal, and the potential for fatal accidents when someone falls in during heavy rains.

Urban planners are now realizing that this development practice greatly impacts a stream's natural duties.

"Cemented-in flood channels have zero habitat value, no water cleansing and generate thermal pollution," explains Temple, adding that the polluted waters eventually dump into the oceans causing further problems for sea life and beach users.

In 1985, California established an Urban Streams Restoration Program to assist communities with restoring these waterways back to environmental function as well as flood control.

While Northern California has been taking advantage of the program since its inception, Southern California has been slow to participate. The city of Calabasas was first in the region to accomplish a restoration, which was 14 years in the planning.

"Since it was a new concept for all the parties involved, we had no guidelines to follow and spent several years studying the project from every angle--the bioengineering, the ecology, the public safety, and the aesthetics," said Alex Farassati, environmental services manager for the city of Calabasas.

The first phase of the $1.2 millionproject began last summer with the removal of 3,600 cubic yards of concrete followed by grading, reseeding and replanting along 400 feet of the waterway.

"The project ideally fits within the desires of the community and we will continue with other creek restorations in our master planning," added Farassati.

Several environmental agencies support creek restoration efforts, believing it will improve water quality and provide vital resources particularly in the region's arid climate.

The State Water Resource Control Board, California Coastal Conservancy and the Department of Water Resources assisted Calabasas with the funding from public bonds through voter-approved propositions directed at the enhancement of the state's diminishing natural areas.

"Calabasas had the vision to show that a project like this can be done in Los Angeles," expressed Jessica Hall, stream restoration coordinator for the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission. She explained how urban stream projects provide immediate community benefits.

"Historically, the Los Angeles basin had many streams that were buried instead of being ecologically engineered into neighborhood design. Natural streams can be brought back and future development should preserve present ones. Both people and wildlife would enjoy an improved quality of life in the region," added Hall.

Susan Woolam, environmental scientist with the Department of Water Resources, division of planning and local assistance for the southern district, described how the Las Virgenes Creek project was a wonderful example of an urban stream restoration effort.

"It was a tight knit team of talented people that accomplished the goal in blending urban and natural environments," Woolam said. "The restoration project resolved flood control issues and will also provide recreational opportunities."

The County of Los Angeles is contributing $140,000 to assist Calabasas withthe second phaseof the project, adding a creek-side park with viewing gazebo, visitor education on watershed protection, a footpath, and trail connections for pedestrian and bike access.

"This project is an important step in helping to revitalize Las Virgenes Creek," stated Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. Once completed, it is hoped that the Las Virgenes Creek Restoration Project will have regional impact and influence on urban policy and the natural environment.

"Northern California is way ahead of usin projects like this and we hope that local policy makers will begin to pursue them more actively," said Debbie Bruschaber, project manager for Mountains Restoration Trust, a land protection agency in the Santa Monica Mountains that recently performed a waterway restoration at Headwaters Corner in Calabasas along Dry Canyon Creek.

The Headwaters Corner restoration also contended with the removal of concrete and asphalt rubble choking a smaller watershed located at the urban-wildlife interface.

"I hope these restoration projects become a model for urban designers, developers, and engineers to raise the bar and incorporate natural urban planning in future developments," said Bruschaber.

Mountains Restoration Trust will assist the city of Calabasas with stewardship over the project site as local mammals, amphibians, reptiles, state birds and native plants returns to the area, and maybe one day even the steelhead trout that once flourished in the local waterways.