The indicator measures three important aspects of creek restoration in the Santa Barbara area: total square feet of restored habitat in riparian zones; total number of plants, trees, shrubs, and vines used to vegetate the areas; growth in membership. The numbers were gathered from projects done by the Urban Creeks Council from 1992-1996 (Bickerton & Jenner).

Naturally functioning creeks are important to systems because they indicate the health of the surrounding environment. Creek restoration efforts also symbolize a shift toward increasing environmental awareness in the community. Degraded creeks suggest carelessness, recklessness, and/or ignorance in a community, while healthy ones reflect care and concern for the surrounding environment.

If the data is accurate from the previous years of research, the numbers reflect a tremendous public interest in creek restoration throughout the early nineties. The number of people involved with the UCC has skyrocketed, as well as the number of plants used in restoration efforts. Increased public interest has therefore allowed the UCC to do more projects, which in turn shows an increase in Santa Barbara's environmental health.