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General Information
Santa Barbara Harbor is adjacent to the City of Santa Barbara, California. A scenic small craft harbor serving local residents and tourists, it serves as an all-weather safe harbor of refuge at the southern edge of the central coast region. The original harbor at Santa Barbara was built in 1928 by local interests. Recurring problems with downstream beach erosion precipitated several harbor improvements that eventually stabilized the downshore sandy beaches. The periodic dredging of the harbor was originally performed by the Los Angeles district until 1954 when the City of Santa Barbara took over. This continued until 1972 when the responsibility for maintaining the harbor entrance was returned to the Los Angeles district. The City of Santa Barbara continues to maintain the remainder of the harbor.