On December 14, 2023, the Ventura River Watershed Council featured the Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration Project (MDERP). This is the biggest project currently underway in the watershed and regular updates have been provided in this public forum over the years. The meeting included a short presentation and discussion in the Oak View Community Center followed by a guided tour of the dam and surrounds. The presentation and past meetings can be found here: https://venturawatershed.org/past-meetings
Ventura County has initiated the CEQA environmental review process for the updated plan for dam removal. Scoping comments are accepted until December 20 at the link above. This meeting gave people an opportunity to see the dam up close and ask questions about planning for the removal of this obsolete structure on the Ventura River.
Project engineer Kirk Norman presents an overview of the project |