Don't doubt the trout

On Saturday, March 1, the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy hosted an evening of music, film, and conversation at the historic Ventura River Steelhead Preserve.  The night began with a live performance by Par Avion, led by CalTrout Ambassadors Rebecca Ramirez and Bernard Yin, and a screening of Don't Doubt the Trout (directed by Ojai’s Isabela Zawistowska), which follows Rebecca and Bernard’s journey to understand Southern California’s endangered steelhead and how the experience deepens their connection to nature. The evening concluded with an outstanding panel of local conservation experts discussing fish, rivers, watersheds, and dam removal. 

PANELISTS 

Mark Capelli is with the National Marine Fisheries Service, where he is responsible for coordinating the development of recovery plans for the threatened and endangered steelhead trout of central and southern California (from Monterey to the U.S. Mexican border). He is the lead author of the "Southern California Steelhead Recovery Plan" and the most recent "2023 5-Year Review of Southern California Steelhead."

Rosi Dagit is Principal Conservation Biologist for the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains. She has initiated and coordinated numerous research, restoration and monitoring projects throughout the Santa Monica Mountains, starting with studies of Malibu Lagoon, Leo Carrillo State Beach, and moving inland to watershed level analysis and sensitive species monitoring. She recently led efforts to rescue tidewater gobies and steelhead trout in the Palisades Fire burn scar. Currently, Rosi leads the Topanga Creek Stream Team.

Paul Jenkin is the Ventura Campaign Coordinator for Surfrider Foundation, and founder of the Matilija Coalition. He serves on the Surfers Point Working Group, a multi-agency task force working to solve beach erosion problems near the mouth of the Ventura River. Paul has also served on the various technical work groups within the Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study, and acts as the coordinator of the non-government efforts to remove Matilija Dam and restore the Ventura River watershed.

Russell Marlow is a CalTrout Senior Project Manager for the South Coast Region, leading the Ventura office. Russell previously worked for USFWS and the NPS as a biologist focused on native and endangered aquatic species before completing his graduate studies at South Dakota School of Mines studying aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages. Russell’s project focus in the Ventura Office is on reconnecting critical habitat for the endangered southern steelhead through passage barrier removal or remediation.

Bernard Yin and Rebecca Ramirez serve as ambassadors for CalTrout, Patagonia Fly Fishing, conservation co-chairs for the Southern Sierra Fly Fishers Club, and perform music with their band, Par Avion.

More:

https://wildandscenicfilmfestival.org/film/dont-doubt-the-trout/

Covid crush

The global pandemic led to closures of beaches and trails around the world.  But differing levels of enforcement in neighboring jurisdictions led to unintended consequences.

The closure of beaches and trails in LA County resulted in significant overcrowding in Ventura County.  This prompted Ventura County to close beach parking up and down the coast, and jurisdictions such as Conejo Open Space District to close their trails.  This forced people further north.

Although beach parking was closed in the City of Ventura, beach access remained open.  Word travels quickly these days, and the crowds soon converged.

Crowds converge at C-St in Ventura with beach closures to the south, May 2, 2020
(Surfline webcam)

The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy's Ventura River Preserve, a relative unknown to out-of-towners, also quickly became a popular hot spot.   Overcrowding on weekends became such a problem that they too ultimately had to close trailheads on weekends starting May 15.

OVLC preserves have been experiencing an unprecedented high level of use resulting in significant resource management issues.

In an attempt to stay open for the past two weekends, OVLC took the extraordinary step of hiring outside security to remind folks of preserve rules and try to manage the crowds. While this has helped, streambank habitats and water quality are still being noticeably harmed. Visitors are trampling vegetation, disturbing the streambed, and have left mountains of trash.

Unfortunately, these issues leave us no choice but to close the Ventura River Preserve Trailheads (Oso, Riverview, and Old Baldwin Road) for the remainder of the month of May, Fridays – Mondays.

If one thing became more clear than ever, outdoor access is important, and even more during the pandemic.  With layoffs and families stuck inside with all beaches and trails closed within the metropolis to our south, Ventura County has been the closest escape.

In the news:

Patchwork of jurisdictions and closures add confusion to beach, park access
Ventura County closes Foster Park over crowds and illegal parking; cars clog Highway 150
Authorities respond to gunshot victim in Matilija Canyon
Coronavirus: Some call for parking restrictions after crowds slam local hiking trail
Trail-goers urged to avoid Wildwood this weekend as crowds, problems persist
Coronavirus: The latest on parking lot closures at Santa Monica Mountains parks, trails
Governor singles out Orange County beaches, spares Ventura County from closures

SERCAL conference 2013

On May 14 and 15, 2013, the California Society for Ecological Restoration held their annual conference in Santa Barbara. The Ventura River Parkway efforts were presented in a technical session as well as an all day field tour.  SERCAL is dedicated to the following objectives:

• To advance the science, art and practice of ecological restoration. 
• To educate our members and the public on sound scientific strategies and techniques of protecting, restoring and monitoring native habitat. 
• To develop and promote ethical standards for practitioners in the field of ecological restoration. 
• To facilitate communication among professionals and others with an interest in ecological restoration. 
• To advise and consult with public agencies and appropriate entities regarding the improvement of standards and criteria for ecological restoration. 

Ventura River Parkway—Reconnecting People with the River

Chair: Paul Jenkin, Surfrider Foundation
Wednesday 15 May 10:30A–12:00P
Ventura River Parkway—Reconnecting People With the River.
A. Paul Jenkin,Ventura Campaign Coordinator, Surfrider Foundation
It Takes a Community to Clean a River. Derek Poultney,Ventura Hillsides Conservancy
Habitat Restoration, Public Recreation, and Flood Control — Making the Most out of Conservation Properties in the Ventura River Watershed. Brian B. Stark, Conservation / Operations

Director – Ojai Valley Land Conservancy
Managed Retreat: Restoring Habitat, Resiliency, and Recreation at Surfers’ Point. Louis A. White, PE*1, Bob Battalio, PE1, David M. Hubbard2, and Paul Jenkin3. 1ESA PWA, 550 Kearny Street, Suite 800, San Francisco CA 94108. 

Tuesday May 14 - Full Day Field Tour 

The field tour included site visits to Surfers' Point, Ventura Hillsides Conservancy 'Willoughby property,'  Ojai Valley Land Conservancy preserves, and Matilija Dam.

SERCAL Field Tour at Matilija Dam, May 14, 2013

Land Conservancy celebrates new preserve

On Friday July 22, the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy celebrated the latest acquisition along the Ventura River. Named the 'Ventura Steelhead Preserve,' the property includes a large historic farm house that will eventually become a community 'watershed center.'

This property compliments the Confluence Preserve on the opposite bank of the river. This stretch of the river is within the 'Live Reach,' so named for the year-round flows.

The land conservancy now protects 6 miles of the river, with the ultimate goal of creating a river parkway the entire 16 miles from Matilija Dam to the ocean.

Unfortunately, after a newspaper article publicized the event, people were seen attempting to fish in the area. The trout in the Ventura River below Matilija Dam are protected, and game wardens are citing those who are caught fishing. You can report fishing by calling the DFG CALTIP hotline: 888-334-2258

For those interested in visiting the new Preserve and learning more, the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy is holding a panel discussion and hike on July 30, from 10am to noon. More information: http://www.ovlc.org/2011/07/healing-our-watershed-wild-about-ojai-july-30th/

In the News:

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jul/23/ojai-valley-land-conservancy-celebrates-new/

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jun/22/ojai-conservancy-obtains-steelhead-preserve-in/

Location Map: OVLC Steelhead Preserve

Ojai Valley Land Conservancy: http://www.ovlc.org/

...

Flyfishers plant trees

On February 14, 2009, seven members of the Sespe Fly Fishers in Ventura California met on the banks of the Ventura River just below the confluence of San Antonio Creek near Ojai, California. The objective was to plant 47 trees on the riverbank and adjacent area. The area is a restoration project named the Confluence Preserve under the management of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy. This portion of the Preserve is a conservation easement on a private ranch. The flood of 2005 washed several acres of the ranch downstream. The Conservancy received grant funding to stabilize, restore, and protect the stream bank and remaining ranchland.


Some estimates indicate that prior to modern mans intervention and diversion of the natural water flow, the Ventura River watershed could have supported over 20,000 spawning steelhead. In more modern times, prior to ground water pumping and the installation of the Matilija and Casitas dams, the river had been home to an annual run of approximately 2,500 to 5,000 steelhead. Recent returns of the endangered Southern Steelhead are down to about 10 fish per year. The Ventura River is a targeted stream for steelhead recovery. Preserving and restoring the riparian zone of the river is vital to the steelhead recovery effort.

The Conservancy prepared the site by placing rock groins in the flat streambed overflow area, installed an irrigation system and mulched the site for weed control. What they needed were trees and planting labor.

. The Sespe Fly Fisher’s project had been in the planning stage for over a year. The club was looking for a meaningful way to express recognition of the commitment Yvon Chouinard, owner of Patagonia, has made to the club and the environment. Yvon’s efforts have a world-wide impact. Dennis Harper, the club’s Conservation Chairman along with Gary Bulla, the club’s Program Chairman researched the options for recognition of Yvon. A local area conservation project was ideal. They investigated several sites for a tree planting project. The club members provided the funds which had been donated for conservation efforts. Fifteen Sycamores, 15 Cottonwoods and 5 Coastal Live Oaks were purchased for the project. OVLC Program Manager Derek Poultney and Stevie Adams, the Ventura River Confluence Project Manager, provided guidance and coordination leading to a perfect wedding of the club’s desire and the Conservancy’s needs.

Watershed Revolution

Watershed Revolution
asks the question,
“What is a Watershed?”

The answer is explored through interviews with local folks working to protect and preserve the Ventura River watershed, while stunning high definition cinematography brings to life the beauty of the river. The unique challenges faced by a river that is the sole source of water for a thirsty community are brought to life and will change forever your definition of a watershed.

Watershed Revolution is a 30 min film that profiles community members and organizations working to protect and restore our watershed. It highlights the need for open space and floodplain protection, sustainable agriculture, and community awareness of our most precious resource: water.

This new film will premiere in two local events this summer:

June 20 - Surfrider Foundation's International Surfing Day - Elks Lodge, Ventura - 7pm
June 24 - Ojai Green Coalition - Chaparral Auditorium, Ojai - 7pm

The film will be followed by a Q&A / discussion with our local watershed heros:

Paul Jenkin - Surfrider Foundation
Steve Svete - Ventura Hillsides Conservancy
Rick Bisaccia - Ojai Land Conservancy, Preserve Manager
Steve Sprinkle - Farmer and the Cook, organic farmer
Sara Benjamin - Once Upon Wetland, educator
Shawn Kelly - Wetlands Recovery Project / State Coastal Conservancy
Ben Pitterle - Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, Stream Team

a documentary film by Rich Reid: http://watershedrevolution.com/trailer.html

Tour of Ojai Meadows Preserve

The April meeting of the Ventura County Task Force of the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project was a site tour of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy’s restoration work at the Ojai Meadows Preserve.

The Ojai Meadows Preserve is a 58-acre site of valley and live oak, grasslands and wetlands. Over the past several years the OVLC has been working to restore the preserve as closely as possible to its native state by expanding the wetland, planting additional oaks, and reintroducing native grasses. The long-term objectives of the project include providing better habitat for wetland birds, raptors and other wildlife species and reducing flooding on the highway and adjacent property.

Derek Poultney, the OVLC’s project manager at the Preserve, led us on a tour of the Meadows and discussed the various components of the project, including restoration of the hydrology on the site, the work of consultants and volunteers, trail improvements, creation of swales and vernal pools, and restoration of native riparian, oak savannah and coastal sage scrub habitats.

Derek pointed out that this property was once slated to become a shopping mall, in which case all stormwater would have been directed into an underground storm drain system.

Listen as he describes the hydrologic and water quality benefits of this wetland restoration project:



(...hear those happy redwing blackbirds!)




Note: this is the Happy Valley Drain downstream of the preserve, that Derek describes as 'very artificial and undersized for the watershed'

Wild About Ojai

Ojai Valley Land Conservancy
presents
Part III of it's Wild About Ojai 2009 Series

RIVER TALK

Last Friday & Saturday, March 13th & 14th, Ojai residents had the opportunity to learn about the river from local experts. I joined Stevie on the field trip to speak about the Matilija Dam project.


I. River Talk - No Work Stoppage for the Ventura River!
Presentation by Stevie Adams, OVLC Biologist and Project Manager
Friday evening, March 13th from 7-9pm
at the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy office- 370 Baldwin Road
While our government continues to cut vital programs, our river tirelessly toils to bring us numerous public services for free. Stevie Adams will present an exploration of the natural functions and processes of the Ventura river system that capture and filter water, dissipate flood flows, and put sand on our beaches. Please join her to learn how a river works, why floodplains are so important and what cost altering the river brings.

II. River Walk - The Plants of the Ventura River Habitat
A hike on the Ventura River with Lanny Kaufer, Ethnobotanist and naturalist

III. River Driving Tour - From Matilija Dam to Foster Park, a tour of our watershed with Stevie Adams - Meet at the Riverview Trailhead Saturday at 1pm for a 1 1/2 hour driving tour. Join Stevie for a carpool tour of the river Saturday afternoon to observe river processes in action and how alteration of our river has impacted its ability to function.

Ojai Meadows Preserve

For the past several years, a collabarative effort led by the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy has been slowly restoring a historic wetland in the heart of the Ojai Valley. Many of you have seen and perhaps participated in the activities on the Ojai Meadows Preserve. Earthmoving & construction were completed in April 2008 and major planting efforts will continue for several years. Ecological benefits include increased wildlife habitat, improved water & habitat quality, and increased aesthetic beauty. This little publicized effort is making a real difference in our watershed.

Restoration efforts have so far:

• Alleviated HWY 33 flooding by transforming Maricopa Drain from a straight, undersized man-made ditch into “Maricopa Creek,” a wider/deeper natural meandering stream with gently-sloped streambanks conducive to riparian vegetation establishment. Widening and meandering the stream required the removal of up to 90 eucalyptus trees.
• Re-created freshwater marsh/wetland/riparian habitat to recapture likely historic conditions
• Created 2 vernal pools
• Created an additional meandering (Taormina) streamcourse, lined with 50 sycamores, 50 black cottonwoods, and native understory.
• Allowed braided streams to naturally re-occur (from Nordhoff campus storm flow)
• Significantly decreased the non-native plant cover and increased the percent-cover of native riparian, wetland, oak woodland, savannah grassland, and sage scrub habitats, the bulk of which are now protected within a newly-erected wooden post & rail fence. Approximately one-third of the preserve is undergoing varying levels of restoration.
• The overall “Ojai Meadows Preserve Habitat Restoration & Flood Control Plan,” prepared by Condor Environmental Planning Services, Inc., is being managed and implemented by OVLC staff, Coastal (ecological) Restoration Consultants, public and private schools, and volunteers of all ages.

Over $5 million has been spent to date. Partners in this project include:

• State Department of Water Resources
• Nordhoff High School
• State Water Board
• Army Corps of Engineers Mitigation Program
• Oak Grove School “Once Upon a Wetland”
• Taormina Community Tree Fund
• Southern California Wetland Recovery Project
• Kaddis Oak Tree Fund
• Patagonia

Future restoration plans include more of all-the-above on more acreage, focusing more on the County portion of the preserve. Contact OVLC for more information: 805-649-6852

Matilija Dam - Alternative Slurry Design

Additional Comments on Matilija Dam Final Design – Slurry Disposal

Letter to the Army Corps of Engineers Via e-mail: Douglas.E.Chitwood@usace.army.mil

During the Design Oversight Group meeting of December 4, 2008, project managers indicated that a decision would be made on slurry disposal (by Feb 2009) based upon the alternatives presented at the meeting. These alternatives are as follows: (Click here for more background on the Slurry Disposal)

We suggest that Alternative 6 be modified to reflect the parameters that we proposed in our comment letter of October 20, 2008.


The following is a description of this alternative:

BRDA 1 would provide temporary storage of 750 AF of fine sediments, intended to be completely transported downstream following a series of flood events. This is accomplished by managing a pilot channel that follows the alignment of the existing river side-channel. This pilot channel will direct high flows from the mainstem channel through the disposal area to initiate and actively erode the sediments. This is controlled with a temporary levee (or containment dyke) that includes a ‘flushing weir’ at the upstream end of the pilot channel.

The footprint outlined in blue in this figure includes expansion of the disposal area onto the floodplain terrace to the east of the active channel. This would provide greater insurance that flows would not enter behind the disposal area and threaten downstream infrastructure. This area will also provide a staging area and additional capacity to account for the pilot channel, which would necessarily be an area of lower fill depth.

Adaptive management of this area would include monitoring the containment dyke and erosion to ensure release of fine sediments downstream occurs during predetermined flow events. The weir entry is designed to direct flows into the pilot channel during such events to facilitate removal of stored sediments. In this manner a large flood event may effectively remove a large portion of the temporary sediments (highlighted in blue.) In the dry season following such an event the remaining sediment could be re-distributed within this erosion zone in preparation for the next flood. Eventually this area would return to natural floodplain with little evidence of the slurry activities.








The BRDA 2 disposal area may store 600 AF of sediment (BRDA 2 with BRDA 2A superimposed.) BRDA 2A is a 15-acre sub-area in which the total deposition would average 30 ft deep. The erodable area (pink) includes a pilot channel designed in the same manner as BRDA 1. The fill is deepest adjacent to Baldwin Rd, which could be used as a containment dyke. The east edge of the disposal area will taper down to leave a 75 ft buffer/channel from the toe of the bluff to accommodate existing flows and maintain the mature sycamore and oak trees. The disposal area is expanded slightly to the west and south to provide additional capacity to account for the buffer zone and pilot channel.

Adaptive management would be used to optimize the erosion of temporary storage areas as described for BRDA1. The upland terrace would be revegetated, but the pilot channel and erosion zone would require minimal restoration. In the future, the BRDA 2A area may be all that remains as a permanent feature of the landscape, so full restoration efforts need only be focused on this 15-acre area.








Benefits of modified Alternative 6:

1. Does not interfere with existing public access and recreation
2. Simplified land acquisition (County and OVLC)
3. Majority of slurry is placed in temporary storage for natural transport
4. Minimized restoration costs
5. Minimized disturbance of side channels and mature trees
6. Minimized long-term disturbance

Other considerations:
It is unclear how the slurried sediment will compress after drying at the disposal areas. Discussion during the December 4th meeting suggested that the material may reduce from 70lb/sq.ft to 150 lb/sq.ft, perhaps resulting in as much as a 50% reduction in disposal height. How this will affect revegetation/restoration is not clear, so adaptive management of revegetation efforts needs to be considered in the planning process.



We submit this concept to clarify our preferred alternative for slurry disposal. We believe that temporary sediment storage, while having a short-term impact, will provide the greatest opportunity for ecosystem restoration and have the least impact on the affected community.


Sincerely,


A. Paul Jenkin, M.S.

Coordinator, Matilija Coalition
Environmental Director, Surfrider Foundation, Ventura County Chapter

Local groups combine efforts to protect and restore the watershed

Our community is fortunate to have several very effective organizations whose combined efforts are making steady progress in watershed protection and restoration.


Thanks to Cynthia, we have this poster ready in time for our Surfrider Foundation booth at the Ventura Hillsides Festival this weekend. She calls it the "Grand Unification Theory" - this was born from my realization that every year this event brings together local organizations, but the big picture of hillsides preservation gets lost in the details... I hope this helps illustrate the connections between all of these important local initiatives.

Land Conservancy hosts Matilija Dam lecture and tour

It's always fun to show people around and explain the complex project to remove Matilija Dam. This past weekend the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy hosted an evening presentation and morning field tour...




(video courtesy of Rich Reid)

Friday, April 25th at 7pm Healthy River, Healthy Community - Part I
Presentation by: Paul Jenkin of the Matilija Coalition, Nica Katherine Nite, Cal Trout Program Manager
The river runs through us, has so much to teach us as well. Learn more about the Ventura River watershed, including the Matilija Dam removal; steelhead trout in the Ventura River; how the OVLC is working to enhance the health of the Ventura River and how property owners on the river can help protect the river and their property.

Saturday, April 26th from 9am till noon Healthy River, Healthy Community - Part II
Vehicle tour : Take driving tour with Stevie Adams, OVLC restoration project manager, including stops at the Matilija Dam, the arundo removal project, and the OVLC’s Ventura River restoration projects. Meet at the Riverview trailhead of the VRP on Rice Road.