Surfrider visits Surfers Point

The Surfrider Foundation California Chapter Conference was held in Ventura on Feb 28, 2026.  Over a hundred activists from around the state and Surfrider staff gathered to learn from each other and network, with a focus on national campaigns.  

The two day event was conducted on the top floor of the Crown Plaza hotel, a site blessed with an overview of Surfers Point and the Santa Barbara Channel.

At the end of the day the group walked along the point out to the river mouth to learn about Surfers Point Managed Shoreline Retreat and see first hand the recently completed project.

Surfers Point has become a national model for coastal management, and lessons learned here will provide a case study for other communities struggling with coastal erosion.

More on the conference here:

Cultivating Coastal Leaders: Inside the 2026 California Conference

Surfers' Point: Surfrider videos

The Surfrider Foundation has produced several videos describing the Surfers' Point Managed Shoreline Retreat project.

Feb 25, 2025

Sep 19, 2025:

March 27, 2026: A Historic Win: Surfrider’s 1,000th Victory at Surfers’ Point

Podcast: EP.05 Fighting Climate Change with Nature-Based Solutions: Surfrider's Climate Action Program; interview with Paul Jenkin starts at 25 min

More at Surfrider.org; 

Surfrider Wins 1,000 Campaigns: A Major Milestone for our Coasts and Ocean

What Does It Take To Save Surfers' Point?

Surfers' Point: Surfrider and Coastal Resilience

State of the Beach report, evaluating coastal health and risks for communities nationwide. It also identifies key strategies for success.

Mondos Cove Stairway Preliminary Design

On Oct 21, 2020, BEACON presented a concept for improved beach access at the popular "Mondos Cove." The preliminary plan illustrates a new concrete stairway to provide access over the boulder riprap shoreline down to the beach.

The following are comments submitted on behalf of the Ventura County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation:

RE: Mondos Cove Public Beach Access Stairway Preliminary Design 

Dear Marc,

Thanks for your presentation on the preliminary design concept for improving beach access at Mondos Cove beach along Old Pacific Coast Highway in Ventura County. The gentle waves at this popular beach have introduced surfing to many residents and visitors, but parking along the busy highway and access to the sand over the boulder riprap can be hazardous, especially for families with small children. Surfrider supports the efforts of BEACON to improve beach access at Mondos Cove. Please consider the following comments as you advance this important project:

Other locations should be considered for the crosswalk and stairs. The current proposal places foot traffic at the narrowest part of the highway and potentially creates a safety hazard for families waiting to cross the highway with small children, bulky beach gear, and surfboards. Safety may be improved by moving the stairway a short distance to the southeast, or providing two separate crosswalks.

The current stairway design encroaches onto the beach. Constructing stairs in the manner shown will expose the structure to unnecessary damage during winter storms. During periods of high waves waves break on the boulder revetment and there is very little sandy beach. As witnessed elsewhere in the county, wave action and impact from cobblestone and other debris will erode the proposed concrete stairway. As currently drawn, the bottom few stairs are particularly vulnerable. This situation will only worsen with rising sea levels. (See https://www.venturariver.org/2010/07/ventura-promenade-repairs.html)

Consider building the stairs parallel to the road so they are protected by a wall on the ocean side - ideally the whole structure would be within the footprint of the existing riprap. The Coastal Commission may require this as part of their permitting process. The structure will last longer with a parallel configuration, and this is what most of the private stairways look like along adjacent Pitas Point. (see attached sketch and photo)

Sketch (in red) showing alternative stairway alignment to avoid beach encroachment and minimize future damage

Aerial view of parallel stairway alignments along Pitas Point

Stairway design may be optimized by adjusting the rise and run. The current design shows 6” risers, which results in a lot of stairs and a long run. Depending on applicable code, stair rise could be increased to 7” or 8” (IRC (International Residential Code) calls for a maximum rise of 7 3⁄4”.) This would make the length of the stairs more compact, but a bit steeper.

Other materials should be considered. Given the uncertainty of future planning and accommodation for sea level rise, a simple timber stairway (or two) installed over the riprap may serve to enhance beach access for the next decade or more. This may be a cheaper and easier alternative to provide a short- to medium-term solution. Many of the adjacent homeowners have wooden accessways that seem to be quite durable.

ADA option should also include stairs. If an ADA ramp is desired, stairs should also be included. The accessway constructed with the recent seawall reconstruction down the coast did not include stairs, and the long switchbacking slope of the ADA ramp is awkward.

Consider long term planning for the site. An integrated plan should be considered to include parking, traffic control, protection of utilities, as well as beach access. For example, a seawall may be needed in the future to protect the highway and extensive utility lines on the ocean side of the street. Parking should be improved to provide a safer, cleaner environment. Signage and speed bumps or other traffic calming measures should be considered to slow traffic through this high use area. Whatever is built now should be able to accommodate future changes.

Develop an alternatives analysis. Given the limited budget for constructing improved beach access at this site, other conceptual alternatives should be developed considering the suggestions above with cost estimates in order to determine the best course of action.

Surfrider has consistently advocated for improved safety and access at Mondos Cove beach for the past two decades. We appreciate this new initiative and look forward to working with BEACON on developing a cost effective and timely solution to this important concern for all beachgoers.

UPDATE May 2021:

from BEACON: https://beacon.ca.gov/news/mondos-cove-beach-access-stairway/

Mondo’s Cove Beach access stairway revised design drawing and description is included below. Based on the input from neighboring residents, stakeholders and interested members of the public, the consultants to BEACON, Jensen Design and Survey, Inc., have produced a revised stairway design and orientation that better addresses site conditions and alignment of the shoreline.

Surfers Point stewardship days

Surfrider and the City of Ventura continue to sponsor volunteer work days at Surfers Point.  Spring weeding is an ongoing part of the ongoing dune restoration process.  The two events this year focused once again on the non-native plants "Sea Rocket" and "Ice Plant."

Over 20 volunteers came out for the morning on February 11, with over 50 on April 9.  The timing was perfect, with the opportunity to remove fresh sprouts in February and the remainder before seeds matured in April, so that next year we should see reduced re-sprouting.

Volunteers weeding Sea Rocket (foreground)

BEFORE - non-native Sea Rocket in foredunes (Photo Dave Hubbard)

AFTER - only native plants remain, with room to spread (Photo Dave Hubbard)

 

Careful removal of Sea Rocket amongst native flowering plants

These Cal Lutheran students removed a large growth of Ice Plant near the Ventura River levee 

Dam scissors stickers

Matilija Dam made headline news in 2011 when a giant pair of scissors appeared overnight.  The image is now becoming a symbol of dam removal.

The Matilija Coalition just designed and printed a sticker building on this theme.  More of these will be available soon, so stop by the Patagonia retail stores to get yours!

All good grass-roots campaigns begin with a bumper sticker.  Surfrider printed these in 1995 to spread the word on the sand trap 16 miles up the Ventura River:

On this blog:

Matilija Dam in the news

 

 

Surfers' Point - Fall 2013

Surfers' Point Managed Shoreline Retreat project - 2-28-2013           aerial composite by Rick Wilborne

Surfers' Point Managed Shoreline Retreat project - 9-23-2013           aerial composite by Rick Wilborne

These aerial photos provide a wide angle view of the entire project site.  Despite a dry year, the progression from February to September shows that native plants are doing well in the constructed dunes.  Repeated weeding has kept invasive weeds under control.  The seasonal difference in the high tide line is also evident.  The toe of the cobble berm is visible on the west end (left of photos) in February, but buried during the summer.

A boardwalk will be constructed in December, an additional part of the master plan that is being funded by the California Coastal Conservancy.  We will seed the area around the boardwalk with purchased and collected seeds after construction is complete.

Photos below are from the volunteer workday on Saturday morning, November 2.  We continue to weed non-native plants (mainly sea rocket, ice plant, bermuda grass) from the dune restoration area.  Volunteers also collected seed from some of the established plants and broadcast throughout the dune areas.

Native vegetation at Surfers' Point workday Nov 2, 2013

Surfers' Point workday Nov 2, 2013

Surfers' Point workday Nov 2, 2013

Surfers' Point workday Nov 2, 2013

Surfers' Point workdays

Saturday December 8, 2012

Over 70 volunteers plus a dozen organizers spent the morning working on the dune area at Surfers' Point.  The large crew made quick work of cleaning, seeding, and planting the 4 acre area.  The workday was coordinated by the City of Ventura in partnership with the Ventura County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, and attracted Surfrider members and families from the community.  

The City of Ventura has been preparing the area for several months.  In April, sand was delivered to the project area from Pierpont Beach where the large accumulation was inundating beachfront homes.  (see Surfers Point - sand dunes)

A dune restoration plan was prepared by a consultant team to coordinate the multiple stakeholder interests and ensure ecological goals are met.  Sand that was initially delivered in longitudinal rows was re-graded with machinery over the past few weeks to form more natural 'hummock' dunes, create a buffer zone along the bike path, and provide designated 'recreation areas.'  

Because some of the imported sand contained unnatural concrete and other debris, the first crew of volunteers went to work cleaning the dunes with rakes and special mechanical 'sifters.'  It's amazing how much area a large crew can cover in an hour or two!

 As volunteers completed the debris removal, they were given tools to weed areas where non-native plants were beginning to sprout from the recent rains.  Catching these sprouts early will make a big difference later in the spring when we return to remove weeds.

While the cleanup and weeding was happening, another work group was systematically distributing native plant seeds under the direction of restoration consultant Dave Hubbard.  The seed was custom mixed for different areas of the project, mixed with some dry sand and scattered evenly within a designated area.  The area was then raked to further distribute and bury the seeds.  These seeds will be futher stabilized this week through the application of straw which will be 'crimped' into the dunes by a contractor.

Surf Brewery's Bill Riegler applies seed 

to the Surfers' Point dune restoration area.

Finally, hundreds of plants arrived from our local Surfrider Ocean Friendly Gardens 'plant parents' who have been caring for them since seeds were collected from the site last year (Surfers' Point workday.)    Volunteers spent another couple of hours planting these along the bike path and filling in areas in the bioswale.

picks were needed to break up the hard soil for planting in the bioswale

On Friday Patagonia volunteers will install barrier fencing and signs to help direct traffic through the dunes to allow for plants to establish and stabilize the new sand dunes.

Thanks to VolunteerVentura, the Ventura County Fairgrounds, and our sponsors!  The Surfrider Foundation purchased seed and refreshments for this restoration project with support from the Surf Brewery, Amgen, and Patagonia.  Please help support the Surf Brewery by asking for their local brews at your favorite eatery or visiting the tasting room on Market St in Ventura:  http://surfbrewery.com/




In the news: 

Volunteers to restore Surfers Point dunes this weekend in Ventura - VCStar

Unique Project To Deal With Erosion At Popular South Coast Beach At Halfway Point - KCLU

Our Ventura TV program included interviews at the workday event

Handcrafted sand dunes require community efforts to reach their full potential
Outdoor Observer -  VC Star


Related:

As the Oceans Rise Up, What Must Come Down? - KCRW

Ventura Curb Cut

On Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, the Ventura Ocean Friendly Gardens team returned to the recently completed garden to take it one step further: the first residential 'curb cut' in Ventura.

Ocean Friendly Gardens apply the concepts of Conservation, Permeability, and Retention to convert a residential landscape from one that sheds water and contributes to runoff and ocean pollution to a climate appropriate garden that captures and infiltrates rainwater on site.


What is a 'curb cut?'  and why?

In cases where a public 'parkway' exists between the sidewalk and the street, cutting a notch in the curb allows rainwater to enter the parkway where it can be absorbed and cleansed.  This captures urban runoff before it reaches the storm drain.


The curb cut design was created by the Green Gardens Group (G3), a watershed-friendly design group who have been working with Surfrider and the City of Ventura (as well as other municipalities in Southern California) to provide professional training and design/oversight for Ocean Friendly Gardens.




Volunteers worked to dig out the parkway and transform the hard-packed grass into a permeable bioswale.

A 'french drain' was laid in a bed of gravel to ensure drainage once the soil becomes saturated.

Once the curb was cut and drainage installed, the parkway was planted and mulched.  The end result is a beautiful native landscape that captures and absorbs runoff from the street.  If the 'upstream' neighbor is washing a car, it waters the plants rather than pollutes the ocean. In heavy rains, excess water will re-enter the street on the downstream end of each bioswale, which will have removed most of the pollutants (car oil, fertilizers, trash, etc)

A series of projects like these installed the length of the street would effectively capture the 'first flush' runoff, which contains the majority of pollutants, and reduce the total volume of water entering the storm drain system.  In order to make this possible, the City of Ventura will soon be offering a standard design, no-cost permit for all City residents, a first in the nation!

Many thanks to all those who made this demonstration project possible, including the City of Ventura, Green Gardens Group, Paul Herzog and all the Surfrider Foundation volunteers who donated their sweat to help lead the way in solving the urban runoff problem!

This residence is the site of the recent Ventura Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) retrofit, funded by a State grant (Whale Tail License Plate Program). Turf grass was removed and the site was sheet mulched (smothered with compost, paper and mulch). Rain gutter downspouts were redirected into the landscape, filtering and utilizing rainwater as a resource. Native and some non-native-but-climate-appropriate plants were installed, and the irrigation was converted to drip. (See this for more details: http://www.surfrider.org/coastal-blog/entry/ventura-chapter-teams-with-city-for-ocean-friendly-gardens-program-series).


In the news:  http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/oct/01/volunteers-help-ventura-homeowners-rework/

More information:

surfrider.org coastal blog: taking-ofg-to-the-streets-parkway-curb-cut-bio-swale

Ventura OFG Campaign: http://ww2.surfrider.org/ventura/VenturaOFG.html

Surfrider's OFG page: http://www.surfrider.org/programs/entry/ocean-friendly-gardens

Solving the Urban Runoff Problem:  http://www.venturariver.org/2008/01/urban-watershed-planning-ventura-ca.html

Participant blog: http://www.lajohnny.com/404/green-streets-pilot-program-ventura-california/


Get involved:
Surfrider:             vcsrf.oceanfriendlygardens@gmail.com
City of Ventura:  Jill Sarick     jsarick@cityofventura.net     805-652-4501

...

Surfrider West Coast Summit

Bringing together Surfrider's best of the best from Texas, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Canada, and Argentina the 2012 West Coast Chapter Summit was by far the most epic gathering of the West Coast Chapter activists.... EVER.   We kicked off early Saturday morning with Santa Barbara Chapter Chair, Sandy Lejeune who shared a video trailer of "The Twenty," highlighting the 20 years of dedicated work done by 20 men to preserve the last 20 miles of the Gaviota Coast.   Their Kickstarter campaign begins Oct 15th.   Keynote speaker Marcus Eriksen from 5 Gyres shared inspirational and shocking tales from his voyages through the plastic gyres, including displays of actual Tsunami debris recovered from the Pacific.   The State of the State presentation by CEO Jim Moriarty emphasized the message of SHARE, LEARN, APPLY to build a powerful activist network and broaden our reach.

Surfrider West Coast activists gathered for the 2012 Summit in Ventura 

Activists received the latest news from staff and activists on Surfrider's Top Advocacy issues including Coastal Preservation, Ocean Ecosystems, and Rise Above Plastics.   We heard about work being done to address the Tsunami Debris coming from Japan, and were given the latest updates on our Blue Water Task Force Program.  Some ventured outside for field trips to see the restoration efforts at Surfer's Point, and an Ocean Friendly Garden bioswale and curb cut demonstration.

Saturday night allowed activists time to eat, drink and connect with fellow activists while Ojai-based singer-songwriter Todd Hannigan played along, creating a memorable soundtrack for the evening.

The Sunday morning training sessions were very well attended and, most notably, most were run jointly between activists and Surfrider Foundation staff.    This was extremely helpful and we received a lot of positive feedback from Chapters who were thrilled to meet staff and have a better understanding of what staff does and how we provide support back out to Chapters.

A very sincere THANK YOU to everyone who attended, and to all those who contributed to making this year's West Coast Chapter Summit a complete success!   Presentations, hand-outs, and photos from the 2012 Summit will be uploaded to the Summit website and ChapterNet in the coming week.

(...above text from SoCal Chapter Coordinator Nancy Hastings, who organized the event.  Thanks Nancy!)

http://www.surfrider.org/

Arundell Barranca - flood control or green infrastructure?

Ventura County Watershed Protection (formerly Flood Control) District is undergoing studies to address potential flooding impacts in the lower Arundell Barranca watershed.  According to hydraulic models, flood risk is higher than past FEMA models, with potential estimated 100-year flood damages of $62,170,700.  The District initially hoped to enlarge the concrete channel to accommodate the 100 year flows, and repair deterioration of Arundell Barranca Channel.

The diagram above shows the affected area - Arundell Barranca drains a large urban and agricultural area and discharges into the Ventura Harbor.

The diagram above illustrates the extent that the urban area has been channelized - compare this infrastructure with the historic condition in the 1945 aerial below.

The photo below shows the current state of the concrete in Arundell Barranca.  This channel conveys a constant flow of no less than 0.67 - 2 cfs in dry weather into the Ventura Harbor.  This amounts to up to 1400 acre feet per year of wasted water. If reused in some manner within the City of Ventura, this stormdrain discharge is sufficient volume to offset the proposed extraction at Saticoy Well #3.

During peak storm events, the channel conveys extremely high flows and tons of sediment into the harbor.  This sediment is periodically dredged and placed on nearby beaches.  Because of the direct hydrologic connection between urban, industrial, and agricultural runoff, these sediments and the water in the harbor contain high levels of toxins ranging from bacteria and metals to agricultural chemicals.

According to Watershed Protection District, the CEQA process has included:

• Initial Study/Notice of Preparation Review : 1/20 – 2/18/2011
• Scoping Meeting: 01/27/2011
• Ventura Port District Board Meeting: 03/30/2011
• Initial Study on line at: www.vcwatershed.org/projects/arundell
• EIR On Hold due to Public Comments Received
• District Contracted with NHC for a Study to Quantify Baseline Condition and Further Investigate Existing Conditions and Potential Alternatives ($310,000 Contract)

Comments received included:

• Increased Capacity = Increased Sediment & Harbor Dredging Costs
• Increased Capacity = Increased Pollutants (Trash, Debris, Bacteria, Nitrates, Pesticides, etc.)
• Project Should Provide Multiple Benefits
• Coordinate with City of Ventura on Potential Treatment Wetlands Upstream of the SCR Estuary – Increases Grant Funding Eligibility
• Redirect Channel to the Santa Clara River
• Modify Outlet to Avoid Eddy at Stub Channel Confluence
• Redirect Outlet to Avoid Damage to Boats, Docks, and Revetment
• Build a Detention Basin on Farmland Instead

Next Steps:

• Public Meeting to Present NHC Alternatives Study Results: July 19, 2012
• Consider Public Comments and Feasibility, Narrow Down the Alternatives to Carry Forward in the EIR
• Resume Preparation of the Draft EIR, to Include Additional Opportunities for Public Review and Comment
• Draft EIR Public Meeting
• Final EIR Board of Supervisors Hearing

COMMENTS:

The Surfrider Foundation has provided comments to this process, expressing concern that re-constructing the existing flood control channels to accommodate the 100-year storm flows will perpetuate a water quality problem that is in dire need of mitigation. We strongly recommend that alternatives be seriously considered in order to realize the opportunity for an integrated project that will mitigate flooding and improve water quality in the lower Santa Clara River watershed and Ventura Harbor.


The 2011 Water Quality Report provides a good overview of the water quality issues of concern. It is
noted that industrial discharges from Harris Water have ceased, but there is no indication of the volume of other industrial discharges into the barranca. Such discharges often have a negative short-term effect that is not captured in grab samples. For instance the recent spill reported in the news delivered hydrocarbon effluent to the harbor directly affecting summertime recreational uses (Spill near Ventura Harbor traced to barranca drain outlet -VCStar, Aug 1, 2012)

Industrial and agricultural discharges and spills also have a long term effect, as toxins accumulate in
sediments that are routinely dredged and discharged onto recreational beaches, as well as bioaccumulate in shellfish and other aquatic life which can negatively affect the productivity of the food chain and ultimately impact human health.  And repeated fish die-offs may be related to accumulated nutrient levels in the stagnant backwater channels in the harbor (most recently, Officials believe a lack of oxygen killed thousands of small fish Monday in the Ventura Harbor.

- vcstar.com April 18, 2011)

Therefore, although the report indicates that “a large fraction of the constituents were mostly above method reporting limits, but below regulatory objective levels,” this should not trivialize the seriousness of the discharge from Arundell Barranca.


There is a significant volume of water constantly flowing from this storm drain system, and an analysis of upstream sources should be conducted to determine opportunities for flow reduction and/or stormwater capture upstream of the project site, before flows reach Harbor Blvd. Various ‘green infrastructure’ approaches may be applicable within the urban watershed to mitigate both low and high flow volumes currently present in the concrete channel. Even modifying portions of the channel to include a soft bottom low flow channel may help reduce flows through infiltration.  We have previously presented a vision for such an 'urban retrofit' for the Sanjon Barranca in Ventura.


SOLUTIONS:

This is not a new problem, and in 1999 the City of Ventura was leading the charge on a creative approach to redirect flows away from the harbor and treat the water with a green infrastructure approach.

One proposal that has been circulated recently illustrates a vision for an Arundell Estuary Park, that would combine engineered treatment wetlands with public access and trails to beatify the area and solve the water quality problem in the harbor.

One thing is certain: a single purpose flood control project will perpetuate this problem for many decades to come.  Now is the time to develop a multi-purpose multi-agency solution to one of the most serious water quality problems on our coast.



More info:

Arundell Barranca Channel Improvements, Ventura County Watershed Protection District website, www.vcwatershed.org/projects/arundell

Arundell Barranca Environmental Monitoring Final Report

City of San Buenaventura's May 1999 "Ventura Keys and Arundell Barranca Watershed Project Alternatives Report" (7.3MB, PDF)

http://www.venturariver.org/2008/01/urban-watershed-planning-ventura-ca.html


..