Klamath Dam removal study supports sediment releases

A study conducted by private consultants for four dams on the Klamath River confirms statements from experts convened before the Matilija Dam feasibility study was begun: extreme short term impacts from dam removal will pay off in the long run:

"our studies show that impacts of releasing the millions of tons of fine sediment stored behind the dams will be relatively short-lived and will not likely eradicate any species"

At a workshop convened in Ventura in 2002, a fisheries manager even used the term 'total biological annihilation' to describe the potential downstream effects of uncontrolled large scale sediment releases, and suggested this would be acceptable considering the long-term rebound of a migratory steelhead population.

At the SRF conference last year, the removal of Marmot Dam was presented as one of the first opportunities to see the results of sediment release on a large scale. In that case the river naturally sorted the sediment and salmon quickly returned up the river.

The final feasibility study for Matilija Dam outlined a controlled release of sediment, engineered to avoid impacts to surface water diversions, as the preferred alternative. However, project managers are now shying away from any release of sediment, instead favoring permanent storage of 2 million cubic yards of fine sediments slurried downstream. A similar tact is expected when engineering for upstream sediment management begins. These issues and the dismantling of an open dialog threaten to stall the removal of Matilija Dam.

Code Green: Hot, Flat, and Crowded

There is a growing opportunity as more and more local groups begin to form around climate change. In the Ventura bioregion we have seen the Ojai Green Coalition and VCCool generate a renewed interest in local activism. Even the kids are getting organized.

Aligning all this energy, and getting these latent activists up to speed is the first challenge. The next is finding ways to put EVERYONE to work on solving the looming crisis, which is actually the convergence of several crises all at once.

Thomas Freidman outlines a strategy in his bestseller, "Hot Flat and Crowded." He calls it "Code Green," or 'Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America'

Thomas L. Friedman’s phenomenal number-one bestseller The World Is Flat has helped millions of readers to see the world in a new way. In his brilliant, essential new book, Friedman takes a fresh and provocative look at two of the biggest challenges we face today: America’s surprising loss of focus and national purpose since 9/11; and the global environmental crisis, which is affecting everything from food to fuel to forests. In this groundbreaking account of where we stand now, he shows us how the solutions to these two big problems are linked--how we can restore the world and revive America at the same time.

Friedman explains how global warming, rapidly growing populations, and the astonishing expansion of the world’s middle class through globalization have produced a planet that is “hot, flat, and crowded.” Already the earth is being affected in ways that threaten to make it dangerously unstable. In just a few years, it will be too late to fix things--unless the United States steps up now and takes the lead in a worldwide effort to replace our wasteful, inefficient energy practices with a strategy for clean energy, energy efficiency, and conservation that Friedman calls Code Green.

This is a great challenge, Friedman explains, but also a great opportunity, and one that America cannot afford to miss. Not only is American leadership the key to the healing of the earth; it is also our best strategy for the renewal of America.

Watershed rim traverse

Old Man Mountain is a landmark on the ridge separating Ventura County and Santa Barbara County. The weather gauges on this 5400' mountain often record the highest rainfall in southern California.








Matilija Canyon drains from this high ridge down to its confluence with the North Fork Matilija Creek, marking the headwaters of the Ventura River.


This unique view is accessed either through a long climb up from Murietta Divide, or the even longer ridge traverse from the trailhead at Pine Mountain summit off Highway 33. We took the latter route, a 30 mile ride back to the highway.

Water supply and drought

According to an article in the Ojai Valley News, the current drought and new water pricing is creating tension between water agencies and farmers. When wells run dry, growers have become accustomed to subsidized water imported from Lake Casitas. But with rate increases intended to cover the true cost of water, a local water district is reaching economic limits.

“The Senior Canyon board states that agriculture is no longer a viable aspect of our environment,” the rebuttal letter said. “We believe this statement is wrong. Agriculture is an integral part of life in Ojai’s East End … If the choice needs to be made between preserving agriculture in the East End and preserving the water company known as Senior Canyon, we choose to preserve agriculture.”

Lack of integrated management between multiple water districts, municipalities, private well owners, and public agencies has resulted in over-allocation of the limited ground water basins and ongoing conflicts over current and future water use.

And as the creeks dry up, ecosystem function is impaired by diminished surface flows and degraded water quality.


Meanwhile, the statewide drought continues to worsen. The Central Valley Project, which provides irrigation water to central valley farmers, may have ZERO water this year. And water rationing is being considered for the majority of Ventura County which relies on imports from the State Water Project.

This is not just a local trend. A recent headline states: Australia faces collapse as climate change kicks in

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