Meiners Oaks stormwater project

In fall 2015, the Ventura County Watershed Protection District completed construction of an engineered bioswale to capture low flow runoff from El Roblar Rd in Meiners Oaks.  This County project was funded through a Prop 84 Stormwater Grant in partnership with the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy and is located within Land Conservancy's Meadow Preserve.  The Surfrider Foundation and other organizations contributed letters of support for the project.

The completed project is shown here post-construction (photo taken Nov'15.) Note the seeding, planting, and irrigation.  Vegetation should fill in with the upcoming winter rains.

The swale is designed as treatment diversion, taking runoff from the street, filtering it, and returning any overflow to the existing storm drain. The engineering features of this project are shown below.  Flow enters at the upstream/right side through a storm drain inlet at the curb.  Water is filtered in the trash/nutrient/sediment removal baffle box before entering the vegetated swale.  Water that is not absorbed into the ground as it flows through the swale will exit back into the storm drain.  

The project will capture and treat runoff from about 40% (36.8 acres) of the Meiners Oaks urban area as shown below:

The image below shows the drains within the larger Meiners Oaks area - these storm drains all enter the Ventura River where Happy Valley Drain exits the bluff along Rice Rd (bottom left of the image labeled MO-MEI).  The original proposal included two other projects on McDonald Drain which illustrate components of a regional watershed approach to capturing urban runoff.  These components were not funded.

The County will be monitoring this project over the coming rainy season to evaluate the effectiveness of the engineered bioswale.  Once the vegetation is established they will be measuring flows and collecting influent and effluent samples for BMP effectiveness evaluation to reduce nutrients and other stormwater pollutants.

For more information:

Ewelina Mutkowska
County Stormwater Manager (805) 645-1382 Ewelina.Mutkowska@ventura.org

Salvador Diaz-Rubin, PE
Design Engineer
(805) 650-4066 Salvador.DiazRubin@ventura.org

Surfrider letter re: Ventura 2015 Comprehensive Water Resources

May 18, 2015

Ventura City Council
501 Poli St
Ventura CA 93001
Sent via e-mail

RE:  2015 COMPREHENSIVE WATER RESOURCES REPORT

Dear Ventura City Council;

The Ventura County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has been engaged in local water issues for almost two decades.  We recognize that waste equals pollution, which directly affects the health of our coast and those of us who enjoy ocean recreation.  We believe that a truly integrated water management plan is desperately needed so that the City of Ventura can become sustainable within the limits of our local water supply.

The current drought has exposed the vulnerability of the City of Ventura to uncontrolled variations in water supply.  Ventura has reached what some call “Peak Water.”  Water supply is the most critical issue our community faces, and future generations depend on today’s decisions.

Unfortunately, our review of the 2015 COMPREHENSIVE WATER RESOURCES REPORT reveals some glaring errors and omissions that not only represent undisclosed limits to our water supply, but also missed opportunities in attaining sustainable water management.

We recommend that City Council:
• Reject the 2015 COMPREHENSIVE WATER RESOURCES REPORT until these errors are resolved, and
• Impose a building moratorium during the current severe drought.

The following are some of our concerns with the 2015 COMPREHENSIVE WATER RESOURCES REPORT:

1. Casitas Municipal Water District (Casitas)

The report does not mention transfers outside the CMWD district boundary to the east side of Ventura.  Under current drought conditions this transfer will likely have to be eliminated. Also, the report assumes a drought reduction of the City’s supply from Casitas of 20%, while CMWD is mandated to reduce overall demand by 32%

2. Ventura River Surface Water Intake and Upper Ventura River Groundwater Basin/Subsurface Intake and Wells (Foster Park)

Currently flows have dropped to a historic low at Foster Park.  The report notes that the City’s ability to draw water from the Ventura River has been significantly impacted by the current drought. However, the long-term estimates for increased yield from 4200 to 6700 acre feet per year yield from Foster Park are not realistic due to physical and legal constraints.
1. Future water supply estimates from Foster Park are based on the wettest years, which in reality only occur once every 7 to 10 years.  Therefore, the expectation for increased yield from Foster Park do not account for the physical limitations of a variable climate – many years there simply will not be that much water to extract.
2. In the future, extractions at Foster Park are likely to be legally constrained.  Reduction and elimination of surface flows in the “Live Reach” of the Ventura River threaten the endangered steelhead as well as recreation and water quality.  Ongoing litigation by Santa Barbara Channelkeeper questions Ventura’s water right with regard to instream flows and the public trust.

3. East side groundwater supply:

Aquifers on the east side are impacted by overdraft and subject to long-term salt-water intrusion.  Poor water quality necessitates blending to achieve potable water standards.  The City of Ventura is just one of many users of these aquifers.  Depending on future drought and urban and agricultural uses these sources may also become more limited.

4. Recycled Water:

The report only anticipates a small increase of 700 AFY in reclaimed water for the 2025 water budget.  Reclaimed water is the city’s best opportunity to enhance water supply reliability.

Ventura Water Reclamation Facility  (VWRF)

The city is bound under under the Wishtoyo/HTB legal settlement to increase reuse of VRWF effluent to at least 50% by 2025.  This could yield a significant increase in water supply while at the same time reducing the impact to the estuary and McGrath State Beach, which has been closed due to flooding.

Ojai Valley Sanitary District (OVSD)

In contrast, reclamation of  OVSD effluent will greatly reduce flows in the lower Ventura River.  Currently, in dry years, nearly 100% of the flow in the lower Ventura River is OVSD effluent.  Removing this effluent from the river will further compound the impacts from over-extraction at Foster Park and result in a dry river.  Therefore we do not anticipate that this is a viable future source of water for Ventura.




5. What population may be supported by the current and future supply?

This is the most important question facing the city today. It appears that Ventura is overestimating the current and future water supply in order to justify continued urban growth.  This places an undue burden on current and future residents.  We recommend that a building moratorium be enacted until this question is answered and a clear plan for future water management is developed.

6. How can Ventura better plan for the future?

Why did Ventura miss out on Prop 40 IRWMP funding?
The County-run Watersheds Coalition of Ventura County (WCVC) program has successfully secured millions of dollars in state funding for local projects.  Despite investing thousands of hours of staff time as well as fiscal sponsorship for WCVC, the City of Ventura did not submit any proposals for IRWMP grant funding.

Surfrider has consistently advocated that Integrated Water Management is the key to attracting grant funding to achieve optimum use of available water supplies.   This is best achieved on multiple scales using a watershed planning approach.  Coordination with other local agencies, and capturing and using resources near their source are essential to provide resiliency to future changes.

An Ocean Friendly Garden is a small-scale example of this strategy.  Water that runs off roofs and driveways is captured in the landscape providing an adequate supply of water for native plants as well as reducing flooding and water quality problems downstream.  Greywater may be used on-site to support fruit trees.  By capturing and using water onsite, wasteful irrigation is eliminated and water that used to run off the landscape is captured so as to contribute to the local aquifer. Many small Ocean Friendly Gardens add up to neighborhood-scale benefits.

On a larger scale, water that is currently channeled off the landscape by the storm drain system should also be captured and utilized.  Such improvements to the urban landscape provide an even greater opportunity to capture and infiltrate stormwater and eliminate the liability from polluted runoff.  This could be highly beneficial in stressed aquifers such as those in East Ventura.

Similarly, wastewater may be captured in locations with reuse opportunities through small local “scalping plants.”  Such plants should be planned for East Ventura where groundwater recharge or direct reuse can help maintain depleted aquifers.

We join with other members of our community and encourage you to make the right decisions to ensure Ventura’s prosperous and sustainable future.

Sincerely,

Dan Glaser
Chair - Surfrider Foundation Ventura County Chapter


click here to download the letter

 click here to download 2015 COMPREHENSIVE WATER RESOURCES REPORT  pdf 

click here to download the City's response

Presentations: KYH2O and Matilija Dam

Two recent presentations are now available for online viewing:

Why (Fresh) Water is Important to Surfers
November 21, 2013 - Channel Islands Maritime Museum.
This presentation describes the Ventura River watershed and Surfrider's "Know Your H2O" approach to solving the ongoing water management crisis.






Matilija Dam: Taking Another Look (A Brief History and Update)
March 22, 2014: Salmonid Restoration Federation Conference, Santa Barbara, CA
A summary of  the Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration project and update on the 2014 special studies.




Matilija Dam: Taking Another Look (A Brief History and Update) from Salmonid Restoration Federation on Vimeo.

Mid Town Ventura - Know Your H2O

Last week I was the guest speaker at the Midtown Community Council.  The midtown community has taken the lead on neighborhood Ocean Friendly Gardens and Green Streets retrofits to address stormwater runoff from this urban area, so this was a welcome opportunity to provide insight on how local actions fit into the 'big picture.'

The Water Cycle has become the 'Cycle of Insanity'

Surfrider's 'Cycle of Insanity - the Real Story of Water' video illustrates how the water cycle, upon which we all depend, has been modified in so many ways that it has become a 'Cycle of Insanity.'  We have developed our urban areas to channel rainfall into storm drains that deliver polluted runoff directly to our rivers and coasts, wasting water that could be directed into our over-pumped aquifers.  Millions of gallons of treated wastewater is being discharged into the ocean - where desalinization plants are being proposed to pump that water back out of the ocean to remove the salt and sell it as a new water supply.  All of this wastes precious fresh water AND energy, further exacerbating the impacts of climate change.

In the Ventura region the signs of stress are evident - but not always seen as connected.  

Ventura River at Foster Park - July 2013

Flooding at McGrath State Beach

Problem:  The Ventura river is dry at Foster Park while McGrath State Beach is flooded - how can this be?

This is where it helps to

 Know Your H2O - where does your water come from, and where does it go?   

Know Your H2O: simplified schematic of where Ventura water comes from and where it goes

From this simplified schematic we can see that about half the city's water supply comes from the Ventura River.  The wells at Foster Park provide about 25% of the city's water, and there is a high demand from this good quality source which is used to dilute the poor groundwater from east side wells. 

About half of the total water used in the city is discharged as wastewater into the Santa Clara River estuary.   So while it may seem 'natural' to discharge treated water into the estuary, much of it does not even originate from the Santa Clara River watershed. In dry years (like this) when the sand berm does not breach and drain the estuary into the ocean, that 9 million gallons a day keeps accumulating, often flooding the state beach.  Artificial breaches have resulted in fish kills, so solutions to the flooding problem have been hard to reach.  

These supply and demand numbers are taken from the city's recent 2013 Final Comprehensive Water Resources Report.  It is evident from this graph that if 'new' sources of water are not found the city will outgrow its water supply  in the near future.  (Indeed, we may already be there, as another year of drought will spell trouble.)

Solutions:  The red arrow shows that the potential for recycled water in Ventura is close to 50% of demand.  (Of course the actual volume would be less than this depending on treatment and reuse options, but this demonstrates the overall magnitude.) Therefore water recycling would provide an opportunity to reduce the flooding problem at McGrath as well as offset demand to reduce pressure on the supplies.  (i.e. an 'integrated solution')  The City of Ventura is currently investigating recycling opportunities and in the short term installing a system for controlled pumping of the estuary into the ocean.

Urban Runoff and Ocean Friendly Gardens:

Map of the urban watershed draining into Pierpont Bay, Ventura, CA

Another symptom of the Cycle of Insanity in Ventura is urban runoff.  Surfrider has studied the downtown/midtown areas and mapped the underground storm drains.  This infrastructure effectively directly connects to the ocean almost every gutter downspout, driveway, street, and parking lot in the area.  The 'impervious' landscape turns even the smallest rainfall into runoff.

Problem: Within the Midtown area (Prince/Sanjon drainage) high runoff volumes flood Sanjon Road and pollute the beaches every time it rains.

While individual citizens often have little control over this infrastructure, the solution begins at home.  This is why Surfrider's 'Ocean Friendly Gardens' program is catching on throughout the region.

 Last year's Ocean Friendly Garden project in the Midtown area not only installed a residential garden, but also included the first 'curb cut' in Ventura.

Midtown Ocean Friendly Garden with 'curb cut'

The 'curb cut' expands the effectiveness of Ocean Friendly Gardens into the public right-of-way, directing runoff from the street into the median where it is infiltrated into the soil.  Any excess water that cannot be absorbed is filtered and released back into the street.

Green Streets are designed to capture runoff before it enters the storm drains

Although the City of Ventura has been slowly retrofitting some of the urban area and planning to implement a 'green streets' demonstration project, budget cuts recently forced the city council to reverse its 2008 'green streets' policy which funds these projects.

Solutions: A less costly community-based green streets approach may be to install curb-cut bioswales along an entire city block.  This would capture the majority of runoff before it enters the storm drain and ends up on the beach for a fraction of the cost of an engineered green street demonstration project.  This may soon become a reality in Midtown Ventura if a 'block party' can be organized!

Do you   KNOW YOUR H2O?

Surfrider's Know Your H2O campaign aims to educate communities about water management issues that affect the health of our watersheds, coast and ocean.  Taking the time to learn where your water comes from, and where it goes when it leaves your home is a first step. Once we understand the problems, and can see how to solve them, we can take action to make basic changes.  In this way a new philosophy of water management starts at home and spreads throughout our communities.

The first step is to understand what the problems are

Developing a common vision for a restored water cycle is essential
 to community-based  action

Actionable solutions like Ocean Friendly Gardens empower communities
 to make the changes required to protect our water for the future

Know Your H2O can be implemented within many
 scales and jurisdictions within a watershed

More info:

Watch the video: Cycle of Insanity - the Real Story of Water

Ocean Friendly Gardens: www.oceanfriendlygardens.org

Ventura Water Supply:  http://www.cityofventura.net/water/supply

Patagonia Bioswale/Parking Lot Retrofit

On this blog:

http://www.venturariver.org/search/label/H2O

http://www.venturariver.org/search/label/wastewater

Estuary breach kills fish
Urban Watershed Planning - Ventura CA
Ventura Adopts "Green Streets" Policy
Ventura Curb Cut

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


..

Why is the ocean brown?

Every time it rains, runoff from the land impacts the river and coast.  And although we have accepted the 'chocolate milk' surf as normal after it rains, it has not always been this way.  This is what is known as a 'Shifting Baseline.'  (See Shifting Baselines in the Surf)

Rainfall this weekend was equivalent to what is known as the 'design storm' - we received approximately one inch over a 12 hour period.  For regulatory and engineering purposes, this quantity of rainfall can and should be retained on site.  This requirement is in the Ventura Countywide 'MS4'  (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) Permit, as a standard that all new development will be held to.

The problem, however, is that over the past 100 years our development patterns have directed rainfall off the land, into storm drains, and directly into the river and ocean.

URBAN RUNOFF:

Here's what Ventura Avenue looked like during the rain: the parking shoulder was flowing like a creek.  This is an example of Urban Runoff, and the water here is carrying everything from 'dog poop' and trash, to brake fluid and pesticides, into the storm drains and out to sea.

INDUSTRIAL RUNOFF:

A little further up the Avenue are the oil fields.  Here the runoff changes to a muddy brown.  Here erosion of soil from miles of oilfield roads in the hills and large impervious work yards flushes into the street...

...into the storm drains, and out to the ocean.  Any chemicals that have spilled or absorbed into the ground are flushed off the land along with this soil.

Santa Barbara ChannelKeeper Stream Team volunteers have been sampling this site for a couple of years, and although oil and gas is generally exempt from clean water rules, Santa Barbara ChannelKeeper has been successful in forcing Aera Energy to enroll in the industrial stormwater permit program.  

This video, starting around 3:20, describes ChannelKeeper's work and illustrates the runoff from this area, and also shows how security guards harass watchdogs, even though this is a public street.  

AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF: 

As the video illustrates, another major source of pollution agriculture.  Both livestock and irrigated crops contribute to water quality problems.  

One area we have been watching is the recent expansion of orchards and row crops at Taylor Ranch on the west side of the Ventura River.  This strawberry field was sprayed with chemicals on Friday, despite the storm bearing down on the region.  Because conventional strawberry growers use plastic to cover the ground, these fields generate significant runoff when it rains. 

Here a Santa Barbara ChannelKeeper volunteer is collecting a water sample from under the Main St bridge, just downstream of these fields.    Note the color of the river water. This sample will be analyzed for pesticides...  although a full-suite analysis would likely turn up a variety of pollutants.

Under the bridge is one of dozens of campsites in the floodplain - another issue of concern documented here: Salmon Run focuses on trash issue

We also went to look at the runoff onto Emma Wood State Beach from the strawberry fields up on the hill at Taylor Ranch.  This is a problem we first documented in 2007  when the fields were first developed.  We continue to received numerous reports from beach users, and this photo confirms that runoff still directly enters the ocean from these fields every time it rains.

The combination of all these sources, known as 'Non-Point Source Pollution' has a significant impact on our coastal water quality and health of the ecosystem.  The fine sediments that enter the river and ocean linger for months, and this is why the water at Surfers' Point often appears muddy, long after the rains have stopped.

This diagram summarizes the issues outlined here.  This is just a small part of the big picture...


...

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:

Stormwater permit on hold

The Regional Water Quality Control Board recently remanded the Ventura MS4 'municipal stormwater' permit in response to legal pressure from the building industry. At a recent conference, building industry representatives described some of their issues with the permit, but predicted that the permit will ultimately be re-instated. Presentations from the conference are here.

Last summer, the Regional Water Quality Control Board completed a multi-year process and passed a new 'Stormwater Permit' for Ventura County. After an 11 hour hearing, the regulators adopted a permit the reflected a 'deal' forged between the 'permitees' and the 'environmental interests'. In this case, the permitees are the County and City governments. The environmental interests were dominated by NRDC and Heal the Bay.

The deal? The permit would require strict runoff reductions on new and infill development (LID) in exchange for limited municipal responsibility (MAL). The building industry took exception and followed up on their threat to file legal action - this was based on 'due process' as well as substantive claims regarding the feasibility of the new requirements.

LID - 'low impact development' - something that should be required with new development, LID aims to capture and infiltrate rain water on site.

MAL - 'Municipal Action Level' - 'municipal action' would be required where monitoring shows runoff exceeds an established threshold deemed harmful to receiving waters.

The arguments for and against LID and MAL were discussed in depth over a three year period, with regulators hoping to develop a permit that would actually improve water quality at our creeks and beaches. At odds were the building industry, who would be responsible for LID, and the cities, who would be on the hook for MALs. Both claimed fiscal and technical issues with both of these regulations.

So now the 'deal' has backfired, and the permit will go back for review. New County guidelines are on hold, and question marks resurface for both sides...

Our position remains the same - municipalities need to begin planning for a modernized water management system, to include stormwater. "Green Infrastructure" can solve multiple problems with an integrated approach to urban planning. And redevelopment should be used to help implement the plan.

Our "Solving the Urban Runoff Problem" document outlines a vision for how this would be achieved in an already developed urban area.

Hopefully this recent action will provide an opportunity for these concepts to be incorporated into the permit to the acceptance of everyone involved. A common vision is needed to move beyond the current roadblocks.

Our new video provides a fresh perspective on the issues: Know Your H2O


More: Storm water rules go back for revision

First LID Parking Lot in Ventura

I had heard rumors. The word about town was the parking lot for the new "Fresh and Easy" store in Ventura.

Once you see how this works, it's so obvious. A simple shift from 'convex' medians to a 'concave' swale makes all the difference. Curbless planters allow water to enter landscaped areas. Pervious 'grass-crete' paving under the parked cars catches oil drips.

It's a shift from a landscape designed to shed water, to one that captures and infiltrates the runoff from paved surfaces.

Go take a look for yourself. Then visit our Ocean Friendly Gardens website and apply it to your own property!

Slow it, spread it, sink it!

Amgen presentation

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Amgen corporation invited me to participate in a "Green Bag Lunch Seminar" this week. We showed the Surfrider video From Sea to Summit as part of a informational seminar on stormwater runoff. I gave a quick overview of what the Surfrider Foundation is doing in Ventura County, and how residents can get involved.

A representative from the City of Thousand Oaks gave an overview of local water quality issues, and Amgen staff provided an overview of the steps the corporation has taken to manage stormwater on their campus.

Afterward, I took a quick tour and saw a few of their stormwater projects, well integrated into their university-like campus.



Dear Paul,

On behalf of Amgen Thousand Oaks, I would like to extend a sincere thank you for speaking at our green bag lunch & learn event. The green bag event would not have been such a great success without someone from the Surfrider Foundation presenting at the event. You did an excellent job explaining how your organization is working to help protect our watershed through conservation, activism, education and research.

The educational video "From Sea to Summit: A Journey through the Watershed" was educational gave good overview on the small lifestyle changes that we can make as individuals to support a healthy environment. We had approximately 90 people attend the event (over 40 on line and about 50 people in the room). I hope you found your participation as a useful opportunity to interact with others that truly care about an environment. Again, I appreciate the time and energy you have devoted to Amgen’s green bag lunch & learn series.

Best Regards,

Amgen Environmental Health & Safety Coordinator

Urban Runoff in the News

Vince Kinsch, chairman of the Ventura Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation was interviewed today at the flooded Sanjon Rd.

Sanjon Rd is an iconic example of the urban runoff problem. Our chapter has been advocating for a wetland restoration and urban watershed program as a demonstration of Solving the Urban Runoff Problem.

In the news today on KCAL Channel 9




link to this blog post and video here: http://www.venturariver.org/2010/02/urban-runoff-in-news.html


Related news: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jan/24/storm-drains-push-debris-pollutants-into-the/

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.

Ventura Stormwater Hearing

Thursday May 7, 2009

Pure theater.

A crowd packed the Board of Supervisors hearing room today as the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) heard testimony and comments on a long overdue 'stormwater permit.' At stake is how runoff from our homes, businesses, streets and parking lots will be regulated over the next 5 years.

Following an opening presentation by RWQCB staff, the 'permittees' (local government) and NGO's (NRDC and Heal the Bay) presented their case for a 'deal' they had brokered amongst themselves. The agreement basically would modify the permit to require 'Low Impact Development' (LID) for new development in exchange for the elimination of 'Municipal Action Levels' (MALs). Ventura City Manager, Rick Cole, pitched a good angle on this 'cooperative agreement.'

Ventura County presented their current stormwater program, and the expected fiscal impacts of increased monitoring, with the overriding message that they are award winning leaders in watershed management. "Second to none," said Jeff Pratt, director of Public Works.

Then, in a surprise move, the NRDC petitioned the board to allow an opportunity to 'cross examine' RWQCB senior staff, Sam Unger. NRDC lawyer, David Beckman, proceeded to expose the fact that Mr Unger was unfamiliar with other permits around the country, and was biased against requiring infiltration and filtration techniques to control pollution. The remainder of NRDC testimony clearly highlighted the loopholes and weaknesses of the LID provisions in the Tentative Draft permit. Heal the Bay also had time to highlight the lack of details in the monitoring requirements and alternative regional solutions, among other issues.

Over the past 3 years, several workshops have been held in Ventura County to discuss this permit, often touted as a precedent for a 'next generation' regulations. While the municipalities and building industry have consistently cited economic reasons against more stringent requirements, my message has remained the same: new development is only one part of the problem. Existing infrastructure is a root cause of the current poor water quality. Moreover, existing development has also increased flooding, which in turn has resulted in increased flood control. And for the most part, 'flood control' has meant turning the natural waterways into concrete channels that convey even the lowest flows directly to the creeks and ocean.

My turn to speak finally came up shortly before 5pm. My testimony (paraphrased):

Good afternoon members of the board. I'm sure some of you saw the recent PBS documentary titled 'Poisoned Waters.' This TV show documented how we have completely failed to protect water quality over the past 40 years. I am afraid that this permit will not solve our problems. It is a small step in the right direction, but misses some critical pieces.
Did you all read this permit? It's huge. And it's very hard to understand. This document is unclear and needs more work, so we do not support the permit as currently written.
In "stormwater" we really are talking about two problems within the bigger picture of water management. The existing built environment and future development. The LID requirements are the bare minimum to address future development. Local government claims to be 'stewards' of our water resources, yet they continue to permit bad development. Because all CEQA documents use the RWQCB requirements, this has to become the minimum legal requirement to ensure we don't make the existing problem worse.
Did you know that 80% of the impervious area in our watershed is transportation related? There must be hundreds of acres of impervious parking lots constructed since the stormwater permit started in 1992. So while LID would be required of developers, the cities and county are not held to the same standards. They need to be required to install BMPs to treat low flows when streets or storm drains are maintained.
The city of Ventura has a proposal to begin to do this, and Surfrider is working with them. But there needs to be funding for this type of project. For instance SEP (supplemental environmental project) money should be applicable to planning this type of retrofit. Thank you.

After 11 hours of presentations and testimony, the board passed the new permit, with the 'city/NGO deal'. So we get LID requiremtne for new development, but the municipalities are off the hook forthe existing problems (for now.) This headline is unfortunate, as the 'taxpayers' are also subsidizing the bad practices that create stormwater pollution (i.e. flood control.) The irony is that while a change in actual water management would save the taxpayer, the municipalities have invested the majority of their staff time for four years working to de-fuse the permit. Imagine the projects that would be 'shovel ready' if that kind of energy would have gone into solving the problem.


http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/may/08/water-board-sets-tougher-regulations-on/