Church Says No to Silt

Project managers were scheduled to reveal their decision on the slurry disposal at the next Design Oversight Group meeting on February 5th - that meeting has been postponed until March 5th, 2009.

"Church Says No To Silt Lease - County left without site to put slurry for Matilija Dam demolition"
Ojai Valley News, Friday, January 23, 2009.

I submitted the following letter to the editor:

As one of the participants in the many studies and processes that have taken place over the past decade, I would like to clarify some of the issues with the slurry disposal component of the Matilija Dam project.

First, the Meiners Oaks Disposal Area (MODA) should be a surprise to those who attended the public meetings during the Feasibility Study and CEQA/NEPA environmental review in 2004. At that time the project description indicated the use of downstream slurry disposal sites near Baldwin Road (now known as BRDA.) During the feasibility phase, the technical study team agreed that the aim of the site selection was to provide temporary storage and allow future floods to flush the silt downstream. This would nourish the floodplain and naturally transport silt to the ocean. The use of the Meiners Oaks site represents a fundamental change in that approach, since the fine sediments would become a permanent feature of the landscape. This presents significant issues, not the least of which is that it will bury the primary trailhead for the Ventura River/El Nido Preserve, one of the only highly utilized public access points within the entire watershed.

Secondly, the subheading, “County left without site to put slurry for Matilija Dam demolition,” is misleading. The use of the original (BRDA) disposal area would simply require extending the slurry pipe a mile-and-a-half at most, not trucking as the article suggests. And if you believe the Corps of Engineers preliminary cost estimates, the $5 million price difference is only 4% of the $140 million project. (The difference may be much less if the true cost of revegetation and restoration at MODA is included.) Most importantly, the temporary sediment disposal alternative that stakeholders had supported in the Feasibility Report would provide far greater long-term benefits by providing for the natural restoration of the ecosystem.

The Matilija Coalition was formed in 2000, shortly before outgoing Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt visited Matilija Dam as part of a nationwide ‘dam-busting’ tour. We have consistently advocated for the ecosystem objectives of the project, which include restoration of native steelhead, riparian/floodplain habitat, and natural river processes. More information is online at www.matilija-coalition.org and http://venturaecosystem.blogspot.com

Paul Jenkin
Matilija Coalition

One Coast, One Future

Recommendations to Local and State Leaders from the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative

http://www.jointoceancommission.org

Last week the Joint Ocean Commission released a report highlighting actions that need to be taken to protect and restore our nation's coast and ocean. The report highlights Ventura as one of the west coast communities actively working to put integrated, ecosystem-based approaches into practice in the management of ocean and coastal resources they depend on for high quality of life and a vibrant coastal economy. This is the result of the Ventura Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation's work on Surfers' Point, Matilija Dam, and stormwater and watershed management.

The report presents the Joint Initiative’s recommendations for actions local and state elected leaders can take to improve the health of coastal ecosystems and economies. The recommendations focus on:

• Actions local leaders can take to implement an integrated, ecosystem-based approach
• Actions state legislatures can take to support local communities in this effort
• Ways both local and state leaders can begin to address coastal climate change impacts
• Strategies coastal communities and state legislatures can employ to ensure the resources needed to implement the recommendations are available
• On-the-ground examples of how local and state governments on the West Coast are already making progress toward an integrated, ecosystem-based approach

The Ventura Ecosystem-based management project was highlighted in this month's Making Waves, the Surfrider Foundation's publication. The article is posted on the blog here

Local press: Report urges cooperation to protect coastal zones

Letter to the editor highlighting our progress:

Cooperation under way
January 16, 2009

Re: your Jan. 15 article, "Report urges cooperation to protect coastal
zones":

This article about the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative report, "One Coast, One Future," correctly highlights fragmented governance as one of the primary threats to our coasts and ocean.

This report also highlights Ventura as one of the West Coast communities actively working to put integrated, ecosystem-based approaches into practice in the management of ocean and coastal resources they depend on for high quality of life and a vibrant coastal economy.

In early 2008, the Ventura chapter of the Surfrider Foundation published, "Solving the Urban Runoff Problem - A Vision for the City of Ventura." In this document, we outlined a strategy for retrofit of the storm drain infrastructure in Ventura to improve coastal water quality and make better use of our limited rainfall. In July, the city of Ventura passed a "green streets" ordinance as a first step in implementing this plan. This is one part of the Surfrider Foundation's
integrated strategy for the restoration of the Ventura River watershed, which also includes beach restoration at Surfers' Point and removal of Matilija Dam.

Each of these projects requires coordinating the multiple jurisdictions of local, state and federal government agencies and engaging the affected communities -- no easy task in a society with so
many competing interests. However, despite state budget woes, there is now a great opportunity to construct these "green infrastructure" projects with the federal economic stimulus package.

Restoring the function of our coastal ecosystems by implementing "ecosystem-based management" in Ventura will serve as a real world demonstration of the principles outlined in the Joint Ocean Commission report. Support for these projects is one way our elected officials
can provide critical leadership for securing the health of coastal ecosystems and economies.

More information on the Ventura ecosystem project may be found at http://venturaecosystem.blogspot.com/

-- Paul Jenkin, Ventura

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

Know Your H2O

This from our friends in San Diego:







A little comedy goes a long way... More here

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

Matilija Hot Springs Resort

The sign at the entrance to the Matilija Hot Springs below the dam tells the history.

From 1887 until the 1980's, the hot springs drew people from afar for the healing properties of the natural springs as well as the scenic natural beauty of the area and renowned fishing.

In 1947 as plans were made to construct a dam in Matilija Canyon, the Ventura County bought the land which held the hot springs. The resort was leased and continued to operate for many years as a health center. Much of the spa, however, was damaged in the floods of 1969. In the 1980's, due to difficulty with insurance, Matilija Hot Springs was finally closed to the public.




Now, with the removal of Matilija Dam planned for 2013, the property will revert back to the county. This is largely due to the potential for increased flooding directly beneath the dam site.

Because of the historical value of the site and its proximity to the dam, potential future uses may include a visitors center and access point to the restoration site upstream.

A more complete history of Matilija Hot Springs may be seen at http://www.matilijasanctuary.com/history.htm

Harbor dredging

According to BEACON, average sand bypassing at Ventura County harbors is almost 600,000 cubic yards at Ventura Harbor and over 1 million cubic yards at Channel Island harbor. Their report illustrates how littoral drift transports sand downcoast, where it accumulates in sediment traps designed to keep the harbor entrance open for navigation. Because downcoast beaches depend on a steady supply of sand, these harbor sand traps need to be dredged annually to keep the sand moving down the coast.





Here the dredge is operating at Channel Islands Harbor, depositing sand on Silver Strand Beach in Oxnard. The dredge basically sucks up the sand behind the breakwater and sends it through a pipe along the beach where it spews out 'nourishing' the beach. While this may seem benign, the discharge from the slurry contains fine sediment and potentially hazardous organic debris that accumulates at the harbor entrance over the year. Surfing while the dredge is operating puts you out in smelly black water, where ear infections or worse are to be expected...

More on this blog: http://www.venturariver.org/2013/12/beach-erosion-and-federal-funding.html