First Flush

It rained this week for the first time in months. Despite the parched ground, the urban areas were flowing. According to the news, "Southbound lanes of Sanjon Road near Harbor Boulevard in Ventura were closed at one point because of flooding"

Here are 'first flush' photos from SanBuenaventura State Beach, Sanjon Drain:

Here's a collection of shopping carts gathered from the Ventura River Estuary during Coastal Cleanup Day:

Coastal flooding - Sanjon

Recent high tides and large surf have built up the berm along the beach in Ventura. What was a sandy beach is now a cobble berm... cobble originating from the Ventura River. Wave overtopping of this berm has filled the Sanjon estuary, backing up all the way onto the street. The road has been closed since the weekend. Several years ago, State Parks ended the practice of artificially breaching the lagoon in order to allow natural restoration of the area. This has been successful in allowing the wetland to regenerate, and often forms a longer meandering flow path before discharging to the ocean. As we have documented in "Solving the Urban Runoff Problem," restoring this wetland would help solve water quality problems as well as the ongoing flooding of lower Sanjon road.

Project 70266

"We know this is a long term project...
We'd like to get some seed money to get started..."

- Richard Bradley

#70266 refers to the City of Ventura Capital Improvement Plan

This week's Breeze includes an interview with Richard Bradley, Environmental Services Supervisor for the city's Public Works Department. The article highlight's Richard's 'green dream' for the city, which is seeking $300k in grant funds to begin planning for the Sanjon project.

Let's hope there is some 'green infrastructure' funding out there somewhere...

Sanjon Project in CIP

The City of Ventura recently released a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that outlines all the projects planned for 2009-2015. This plan includes many projects with stormwater components, including street and landscape improvements. The Sanjon urban watershed project that we have been developing for many years is on this CIP list, which gives City staff the go-ahead to seek grant funding to move this project forward.

According to the City Manager's report:

This Capital Improvement Project Plan (CIP) is the blueprint for investing in the vital infrastructure needed to protect and achieve that future vision. The City's infrastructure includes all city-owned assets and facilities, including streets, parks, beaches, open spaces, storm drains, water and wastewater installations.

Dream for the Future

Our dream for the future continues to be the protection of our natural resources while building a sustainable and environmentally sound infrastructure. The City will continue to establish itself as a national model for environmental sustainability. Our goals are to reduce green house emissions and reliance on fossil fuels, expand our green and open spaces, restore our natural environment and watersheds, and protect our rivers, ocean and waterways. Ventura will continue to be an urban leader in Smart Growth and Low Impact Development practices. Environmentally focused projects, which do not yet have funding, include a Green Infrastructure Demonstration project, Energy-Efficiency and Photovoltaic projects, and the Coastal Sanjon Watershed project. To build our dream, we will strive to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Ventura featured in 'Making Waves'

this article was published in Surfrider Foundation's Making Waves December 2008:


ECOSYSTEM-BASED MANAGEMENT Ventura, California:
A Watershed Approach to Restoring Coastal Resources

Since 1991, the Ventura County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has been working locally to protect and restore coastal resources. Initially spurred by beach erosion and degraded water quality at Surfers’ Point, the chapter quickly recognized that all coastal problems are a result of human activities on land. Coastal development, runoff from urban and agricultural areas, and unsustainable water management practices all add up to create problems within the nearshore environment. Centered on the Ventura River watershed, the Chapter’s projects are becoming examples of community-based restoration initiatives. When combined, these projects provide a framework for demonstrating the effectiveness of taking a watershed approach to Ecosystem-based Management.


COASTAL MANAGEMENT: Surfers’ Point Managed Shoreline Retreat

One of the formative issues in Ventura has been shoreline erosion at the county’s most popular surf break. Responding to the threat of a seawall, the chapter started a proactive campaign to relocate a poorly planned bike path and parking lot inland, an alternative approach now known as “managed shoreline retreat.” The intent is to reestablish the natural “erosion buffer zone” by restoring the beach and dune environment. The new parking lot to be reconstructed a short distance inland will improve water quality through the use of “Low Impact Development” features that will capture and filter stormwater runoff. The final design was completed with the cooperation of local and state government agencies and construction is scheduled for 2009-2010. Now almost 15 years in the making, the only remaining hurdle is finding additional funding to complete the $7M project. www.surferspoint.org



DAM REMOVAL: Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration Project:

As the chapter ramped up its campaign to restore the beach, it also began promoting the removal of the obsolete Matilija Dam, located 16 miles up the Ventura River. Using the slogan “Give a Dam, Free the Sand, Grow the Beach” this campaign publicized the connection between beach erosion and the 6 million cubic yards of sediment trapped behind the dam. Meanwhile, the southern steelhead trout was added to the endangered species list, and local government quickly recognized the potential benefits of restoring a free-flowing river. Ten years and several studies later, this idea has become an internationally recognized example of ecosystem restoration. Final design is underway, the first components of the project have begun, and pending funding, Matilija Dam is slated for removal in 2014. www.matilija-coalition.org




STORMWATER: Greening the Urban Watershed:

Building on the chapter’s early Blue Water Taskforce volunteer coastal water quality monitoring, this program aims to reduce urban runoff starting with a small coastal drainage in the City of Ventura. Research revealed how communities around the country are working to re-design urban watersheds that drain directly into rivers and beaches. Using computer Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, chapter members produced a map of the urban watershed and illustrated a conceptual plan for urban storm water management. This plan focuses on a small coastal watershed, and identifies potential pilot project opportunities including parks, streetscapes, storm drain retrofits, and coastal wetlands restoration. The City of Ventura took notice, and this summer passed a “green streets initiative” that will earmark 20% of all future street repaving funds to stormwater retrofit. (SF Victory #99) The chapter hopes this local funding will draw additional grants to expand upon this concept and gradually construct on-the-ground projects to demonstrate the effectiveness of an integrated stormwater management plan. In the meantime, our “Ocean Friendly Gardens” campaign is showing local residents ways that they can conserve water while doing their part to reduce urban runoff in their own homes.
http://surfrider.org/ventura/Ocean Friendly Gardens.html



WATERSHED RESTORATION: Integrated Water Management

The Ventura River is the only major watershed in the entire Southern California region that does not rely on imported water. But population growth and climate change pose an increasing threat to the long term sustainability of this resource. As the State of California seeks to solve its growing water crisis, Surfrider is working with local government in Ventura to promote integration of water resources to enhance water supply, water quality, habitat and recreation. Possible future projects include stormwater capture and reuse, water recycling, natural floodplain management, and other means to modernize the wasteful water management practices that degrade coastal ecosystems.
http://venturaecosystem.blogspot.com/search/label/watershed


INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS:

The Ventura Ecosystem-based Management project is a model for developing an integrated approach to solving the ocean crisis. This relatively small watershed provides an opportunity for the implementation of community-based solutions to typical problems affecting coastlines around the world. In the end, demonstration projects like this will be the testing grounds to determine if we, as a society, are able to change our ways and develop sustainable approaches to land and water use that are now urgently needed to ensure that our coastal resources are restored and preserved for future generations.

To find out more:
http://venturaecosystem.blogspot.com
http://surfrider.org/ventura/campaigns.html


Making Waves also included this:

Ventura Green Streets Initiative

On July 14, 2008, the Ventura City Council took a significant step toward cleaning up the urban stormwater that pollutes our beaches. Ventura’s ‘Green Street Elements and Demonstration Project’ earmarks 20% of the funding for all future repaving projects for stormwater improvements. Money was also allocated for a residential street demonstration project that will show how to reduce runoff with permeable concrete and other detention and infiltration features.

The new city policy follows recommendations made by the Ventura County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation in a vision document produced earlier this year. 'Green streets' are the best way of dealing with the 'concrete jungle' that is impacting the health of our oceans. Retrofitting existing urban areas with “Low Impact Development (LID)” components is also part of Surfrider’s Ocean Friendly Gardens campaign.

Photo caption: Ventura’s ‘Green Streets’ team includes L-R Ventura City Councilman Ed Summers, Paul Jenkin (Surfrider), Councilman Bill Fulton, Chapter Chair John Wingate, and (front row) Councilman Brian Brennan, and Chapter GIS guru Cynthia Hartley


For more info see:
http://venturaecosystem.blogspot.com/2008/07/ventura-adopts-green-streets-policy.html
http://www.surfrider.org/ventura/Ocean%20Friendly%20Gardens.html

Cemetery Park plan unveiled

On the evening of Nov 19, 2008, the City of Ventura Parks Commission presented the plans for Cemetery Park. The room at the Presbyterian Church was packed with residents. As with most issues these days, the community is divided almost evenly - in this case between those with relatives buried in the cemetery, and those whose dogs now play in the park. (News stories here and here)

Most troubling was the presentation by the consultant, who in trying to please everyone seemed to please nobody except the Parks Commission.

In keeping with the memorial theme, and in an attempt to include 'stormwater,' the consultant included a garden design. This includes a riparian area, which the presenter said is intended to pay respect to the historic creeks (which have also been buried under urban concrete.) The design includes sycamore trees as a symbol of this lost riparian ecosystem. (These trees grow to over 100 feet in the riverbeds of Ventura County, and if watered as required, they would soon outgrow this small garden on the hillside of Ventura.)

In my comments I reminded the Parks Commission that the city is using drinking water to irrigate grassy lawns (and sycamore trees) while stormwater is flushed away in concrete storm drains. Our Urban Watershed Plan illustrated how Cemetery Park could fit into a stormwater strategy to capture and reuse rain water.

Unfortunately, this $4M plan for Cemetery Park does not provide any functional stormwater improvements. However, with the right designer and a regional plan, much of the improvements desired for this area could come from stormwater grants and Integrated Water Management Planning.

For more on the park plan see the City of Ventura website.

First Flush

Sanjon Rd, bottom of the urban watershed

Ventura Adopts "Green Streets" Policy

July 14, 2008 - Ventura City Council Meeting

Late last night Ventura City Council took a significant step in the RIGHT direction. Recognizing that stormwater is an issue for which the time has come, council approved policy for Green Street Elements and Demonstration Project.

This policy would effectively follow two of the recommendations made by the Surfrider Foundation in Solving the Urban Runoff Problem, A Vision for the Urban Watershed, Ventura, California:
3. Develop a green streets program and implement pilot projects
5. Promote and develop incentives for community-based action (i.e. Ocean Friendly Gardens)
In my public testimony, I reminded listeners that a 'green streets' strategy is the best way of dealing with the 'concrete jungle' that is impacting the health of our oceans. I also presented City Council with a hard copy of our document published earlier this year and the Ocean Friendly Gardens brochure.

With this new policy, the city will earmark 20% of the street paving fund to begin incorporating 'Green Street elements' into repaving projects on a citywide basis. The city will also design and construct a pilot project on South Catalina Street to include:

...widening the west parkway from 3-feet to 7-feet, installing permeable concrete in the parking lane on the west side, planting 36-inch box trees on both sides, constructing "bulb-outs" along the east side along with stormwater detention and percolation curb inlets.

The Staff Report also provides an excellent review of types of stormwater improvements, and a matrix of their cost and effectiveness. The report may be downloaded from the city's website here: http://www.cityofventura.net/bridge/public_meetings/councilagendas.asp




In a later agenda item, council became the first city in the state to endorse the California Ocean Protection Council's "Low Impact Development Resolution."

After our watershed tour earlier this year, and the city's proactive approach to stormwater, we are hopeful that more funding will come available to implement a watershed-based study and pilot projects based upon Surfrider recommendations.

Ocean Protection Council watershed tour

On Thursday February 28, 2008, the California Ocean Protection Council toured the Ventura River Watershed. The tour began at the Ventura County Government Center where the Watershed Protection District gave a short presentation describing the Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration project. The council members were then treated to a helicopter flight over the watershed, offering aerial views of the river and Matilija Dam. Vans transported other participants to the dam, where short presentations were given over a picnic lunch. Matilija Dam is slated for removal in 2013, and the project has been endorsed by the Ocean Protection Council and largely funded by the California Coastal Conservancy. The tour gave an opportunity for these policy makers to experience the dam and river for themselves.

The next stop was the beach at the mouth of the river, where Ventura City Councilman Brian Brennan gave an overview of the Surfers Point Managed Retreat project. The final design for this project is almost complete, and with funding construction could begin this year.

Finally, the group took a look at the Sanjon outfall at San Buenaventura State Beach. This site has been identified as an impairment to coastal water quality, a problem that we believe can be solved. Surfrider's proposal for wetlands and urban watershed restoration at this site was met with great interest, as it provides an integrated approach to stormwater management.

Tour participants were also invited to an after-hours reception at Jonathan's in downtown Ventura. We hope our guests learned the reasons we love this area, and why we are dedicated to protecting and restoring our coast and watershed.

Urban Watershed Planning - Ventura CA

This is an excerpt from our document, "Solving the Urban Runoff Problem: A Vision for the Urban Watershed - Ventura, California"

Over the past year, the Surfrider Foundation has been working on developing a vision for solving the urban runoff problem in the city of Ventura. We have used GIS to map the existing storm drain infrastructure and analyze aerial photos to identify potential opportunities within the watershed. Following site visits, we identified several areas in this subwatershed with potential for stormwater projects.

This image shows opportunities for "low impact development" (LID) retrofit within the Sanjon drainage. First, there are several large parking areas (purple) that connect directly to the storm drain system. LID retrofit of these impervious areas could be achieved, effectively reducing a significant percentage of the urban runoff entering the system.

Secondly, there are two large irrigated recreational areas (green); Cemetery Park and Cabrillo Middle School. In researching projects elsewhere, we found examples that demonstrate the feasibility of using storage cisterns to capture stormwater for later use on landscape irrigation. These open spaces also provide opportunity for constructed bioswales or infiltration trenches, landscaped with either native trees and shrubs, or grassy swales. These may be engineered to provide storage, retention and filtration for a specified design storm capacity, typically a one inch rainfall event.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we have outlined an opportunity for Coastal Wetlands and Urban Creek Restoration within the lower Sanjon drainage. Coastal wetlands serve a well-documented function in the coastal zone. Ecosystem benefits include wildlife and fisheries habitat, as well as water quality enhancement in the final stages before discharge to receiving waters. In the case of Sanjon barranca, this function has been entirely eliminated through concrete infrastructure.

Restoring the historic creeks and wetlands at this site would provide significant benefits. The process of “daylighting” creeks has been achieved elsewhere, and wetland creation and restoration has become a proven means of achieving water quality objectives.

This vision is intended to provide a conceptual starting point for an urban watershed plan. The purpose is to illustrate the many opportunities that exist, and provoke a community dialog on how to achieve the city vision, which states:

Our goal is to be a model for other communities of environmental responsibility, living in balance with our natural setting of coastline, rivers, and hillside ecosystems.
- City of Ventura General Plan 2005

History of the Ventura Urban Watershed

In order to begin to understand the causes of coastal degradation, we have to look at the past. It is only when you speak with the "old timers" that you begin to wonder... what have we lost?

This is described well by the term Shifting Baselines; "... the chronic, slow, hard-to-notice changes in things, from the disappearance of birds and frogs in the countryside to the increased drive time from L.A. to San Diego."

As part of our Ocean Friendly Gardens initiative, we have been collecting historical images of the city. Here is a short animation showing the changes to the Sanjon barranca and coastal wetlands, from the original 1872 survey to the present.




Watch this a few times and notice how the barranca (dry creek) was incrementally paved over and then the freeway finished the job. The result of all this pavement is the lost ability of the land to absorb and filter stormwater, instead flushing all land-based pollutants directly into the surf zone.

The image below shows the other side-effect: increased flood risk when urban runoff overwhelms the aging storm drain system.

Future posts will begin to outline some of the solutions to this problem.

Storm Drain filters

As crews went to work to repair the stormdrain before paving my street, it seemed like another missed opportunity... especially as we have been working to promote our "Ocean Friendly Gardens" and green infrastructure solutions to urban runoff.

This is the top of the 10 foot square concrete box culvert once known as "Prince Barranca." The situation gained more meaning as the rain began to fall...

There are alternatives... Here's one manufactured solution for retrofit of urban stormdrains:

Stormwater Bioretention Filtration System

These are an effective (but fairly expensive) solution for retrofit of existing storm drains. This company's website has a nice animated graphic showing how this works - capture and infiltrate "first flush" stormwater runoff (or your day-to-day flows like car washing or sprinkler over-spray) as well as trash and debris, while providing a bypass for higher storm flows.