Stanley's and other lost surf breaks

'Stanley's' was a surf break along the northern Ventura County coast. Lost to Hwy 101 in 1970, Stanley's has become a local symbol of coastal destruction from freeways and harbors.

Around the world, surf breaks are threatened by development and pollution. The video below is one of many in Patagonia's new online surf catalog, which focuses on the theme "Protect Your Break." This 'e-catalog' is part of Patagonia's ongoing quest to minimize their footprint while producing functional products and delivering an inspiring message.




(Link to this video on YouTube )

The loss of Stanley's inspired local surfers to form the Stanley's Reef Foundation when the adjacent 'Oil Piers' surf spot was lost in the 1990's. Oil piers is slated as the site for an experimental 'artificial reef,' which seems to be back on track for construction sometime in the near future. Whether or not installation of plastic sand bags can re-create the natural wonder of Stanley's remains to be seen... (artificial reef case studies here)

But we should all learn from these losses, and be prepared to stand up and fight for the protection and restoration of the natural surf breaks around the world. Which is exactly why the Surfrider Foundation has worked for almost 20 years for 'managed retreat' at Surfers Point in Ventura, a project that will break ground right after labor day 2010.

Watershed U - steelhead presentation

Watershed U - Ventura River - May 13, 2010
Session 4: Conserving Species and Ecosystems

I presented an overview of the the scientific studies that have been underway since 2002 to assess the steelhead habitat objectives for the removal of Matilija Dam. The crux of the issue is the large dams that create impassible barriers preventing access to headwater habitat.


My presentation titled "Monitoring Annual Trends in Abundance and Distribution of Steelhead Above and Below Matilija Dam, Ventura, California" outlined the Thomas Paine & Associates (TRPA) studies to assess habitat and population within the Ventura/Matilija basins. This data was used in the Matilija Dam Feasibility Study to evaluate baseline conditions for steelhead habitat and predict the benefits from opening up over 20 miles of good-to-excellent perennial creeks to the anadromous, or ocean going, steelhead trout.

These studies are a critical part of the Ecosystem Restoration project, since a dam of this scale has not yet been removed, and the 'flood and drought' climate in our region creates extreme annual variability in steelhead populations.


The Matilija Coalition was successful in a grant application to continue these studies in 2010-2011, and work has already begun with the help of Patagonia and OneSurfFly.

Note that all of these studies are on the Matilija Coaltion website.

More on steelhead on this blog: http://www.venturariver.org/search/label/steelhead

Cycle of Insanity at SCWRP

I presented Cycle of Insanity at this month's meeting of the Ventura County Wetlands Task Force, a subgroup of the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project. The taskforce serves a coordination role for all the diverse watershed stakeholders in Ventura County.

One purpose of the film is to communicate Surfrider's proactive vision for the 'restored water cycle,' and how our use of freshwater resources impacts the coast and ocean.


This vision comes from the need to develop truly integrated water management strategies, especially in Southern California where the majority of the population relies on imported water.
Comments from task force members included;

• This should be made available for all teachers in our region.
• Why isn't agriculture included in the solutions?

So if you're a teacher, or know a teacher, please help spread the word. This video is streaming online at http://knowyourh2o.org/

And in response to agriculture: the project was directed more to urban solutions since this is where the IRWMP integrated water management programs are directed. There is undoubtedly a need to support and develop sustainable agriculture, but you can't cover everything in a 20 minute video (...we almost did!)

Potential Annexation of Cañada Larga

Last week the Ventura County Star reported that there was renewed interest in the potential annexation of Cañada Larga into the City of Ventura in order to facilitate development. Cañada Larga is a tributary to the Ventura River, with its confluence downstream of Foster Park.

Although it is not clear whether or not the City will reconsider this issue, the Ventura County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation wrote a letter to City Council, below, outlining our support for the infill strategy provided for in the 2005 General Plan.


May 10, 2010

TO: Ventura City Council

SUBJECT: Potential Annexation of Cañada Larga

The Ventura County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation opposes the potential annexation of Cañada Larga into the City of Ventura.

We strongly advocate that the City of Ventura adheres to the guidance provided by the 2005 General Plan. The intent of that plan was to concentrate development within the city boundaries, favoring ‘infill development’ over ‘urban sprawl.’ This is in keeping with the ‘New Urbanist’ approach to city planning that has demonstrated long term economic and watershed benefits.

We are concerned about the watershed impacts from sprawling development and the potential degradation of water quality. The Local Government Commission outlines these issues in the 2008 study Water Resources and Land Use Planning: Watershed-based Strategies for Ventura County. This study focuses on land use planning in Ventura County, and provides specific policy recommendations for aligning land use planning, community design and stormwater/watershed management programs. This document provides a technical rationale for concentrating development within the city limits, as supported by the 2005 General Plan.

We urge the City of Ventura to concentrate our limited resources on infill development, and resist the urge to sprawl beyond our city limits.

Sincerely,
A. Paul Jenkin
Environmental Director, Surfrider Foundation - Ventura County Chapter


Reference: Water Resources and Land Use Planning: Watershed-based Strategies for Ventura County, Local Government Commission , http://water.lgc.org/ventura



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Paradon paddle out

Photos from the May 1st Paddle Out

OneSurfFly fundraiser

Saturday May 1:

The OneSurfFly fishing contest was held on the beach at Santa Claus Lane in Carpinteria. Sponsored by The Artful Angler, the event drew over 50 fly fishers from around southern California. Contestants were given 3 hours to fly fish in the surf using one fly only.

The hardy leopard sharks, often foul-hooked, broke off many angler's fly early on, putting them out of the running. The common catch was surf perch, with the winners catch-and-releasing more than 15 in the time allotted.

The event raised $1650 for the Matilija Coalition, with the funds going directly to last week's spring steelhead surveys on the Ventura River.

Many thanks to Eric at the Artful Angler and long-time supporter Gary Bulla.

Spring steelhead surveys

April 28-May 1 2010

Spring steelhead surveys on the Ventura River were conducted last week by our biologist team. TRPA has been conducting steelhead studies in the Matilija/Ventura River basin since 2002 as part of the Matilija Dam project.

The work last week consisted of snorkel surveys of pools in the lower, middle, and upper reaches of the main stem Ventura River, as well as the main stem Matilija Creek. I snorkeled on Wednesday in the lower river.














This photo illustrates how a small fishing lure is used to estimate the maximum distance at which a diver would be able to distinguish a trout. Visibility was estimated at only about 4 ft in the lower pools, with water temperatures in the low 60 degrees F.

















Although we did not see any steelhead on this day, lots of carp were documented, a relatively abundant non-native species found in the lower Ventura River.

The team worked their way up the river on Thursday and Friday, documenting juvenile trout in the middle and upper reaches of the river.








The Steelhead Population and Habitat Assessment in the Ventura River / Matilija Creek Basin studies are part of ongoing research effort to provide baseline data of the current population and advance the understanding of this species, which is endangered in Southern California. This annual monitoring has documented continued productivity and the variability of fish presence within the watershed.

These spring surveys were sponsored by the 2009 Patagonia Salmon Run and the OneSurfFly fishing event last weekend.

The Matilija Coalition is proud to announce the success of our application to sponsor these studies through grant funding from the CA Dept of Fish and Game (DFG) Fisheries Restoration Grant Program through the NOAA Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund. This funding will provide the resources for comprehensive Steelhead Population and Habitat Assessment in the Ventura River / Matilija Creek Basin in 2010-2011.