State Parks won't clear Malibu Creek rocks, leaves it to homeowners Play

California State Parks will not move rocks and heavy brush out of the choked creekbed in the Malibu Civic Center, but will let homeowners hire their own bulldozers to do the work.

State Parks told the Malibu City Council Monday night that they may be in charge of Malibu Creek up at Rindge Dam and down at Malibu Lagoon. But do not expect the state to clear rocks choking the creekbed in Malibu — rocks that washed out of the mountains after a fire a year ago.

The creek is clogged with huge amounts of rock and gravel that washed out of state parks lands up the canyon. That debris will cause the creek to find a new path to the ocean when it rains heavily in the 113 square miles of drainage area upstream.

That new path will flood houses in Serra Estates and businesses at Cross Creek.

California State Parks has designated itself as the lead agency for handling debris coming down the canyon, as it gets ready to demolish Rindge Dam and cart out hundreds of thousands of tons of debris from the creekbed upstream.

That leaves the residents along the creek responsible for bulldozing the creekbed clear, as the debris sits on their private property.

But the governor has issued an executive order expediting El Niño protections, said Park Superintendent Richard Fink.

Bottom line: California State Parks may be in charge of the creek upstream and downstream, but not where it is very likely to flood businesses in the Civic Center and houses in the Serra Retreat neighborhood.