Seawall reconstruction

CalTrans is currently working to rebuild the seawall near Solimar Beach along old PCH / Hwy 101 north of Ventura.  This is a popular beach during the summer, and although beach access is still possible from either end it's looking pretty ugly.  It appears that the riprap has been moved away from the toe of the seawall and placed in the surf zone to  protect the project area from wave action.  All of these rocks should be removed upon project completion.

According to the Coastal Commission staff report:

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Demolish approximately1,800 linear ft. of existing seawall and replace with a new seawall of the same length and height in a further landward location; remove approximately 1,800 linear ft., 12 ft. wide existing rock revetment located immediately seaward of the existing seawall to be demolished; construct a new public access stairway and a new public access ramp to the beach; install three new public access signs and two new ADA- compliant parking spaces and signs; and repair and pave existing adjacent road shoulder and bicycle lane areas. 


As originally proposed project did not include the removal of any portions of the existing 1,800 linear ft. long rock revetment located seaward of the existing seawall. Moreover, the project also only included removal of the top 10 ft. of the existing seawall, leaving the lower portion visible above the typical elevation of beach sand. Through collaboration between Commission staff and the applicant, the proposed project has been modified to now include removal of the existing 1,800 linear ft. seawall down to two feet below the lowest expected beach sand profile and complete removal of the approximately 1,800 linear ft., 12 ft. wide existing rock revetment, thereby reducing potential visual impacts and increasing the area of useable beach. Thus, as now proposed to demolish all visible portions of the existing approximately 3 ft. wide seawall, reconstruct the new seawall in a further landward location, and remove all portions of the existing approximately 12 ft. wide rock revetment on site; this project will serve to reduce the footprint of shoreline armoring on site by approximately 15 ft. and will increase the area of sandy beach currently available for use by the public while continuing to ensure the geologic and engineering stability of Pacific Coast Highway. Moreover, the project has been designed to incorporate additional public access and recreational improvements including construction of a new public access stairway and a separate public access ramp to the sandy beach from the road shoulder parking area on site.

The existing seawall was originally constructed in 1934 and retrofitted in 1966. Construction of the proposed new seawall will include the landward placement of 605 “Cast-In-Drilled-Hole” piles, ranging from 2.6 ft. to 3 ft. in diameter. The piles will extend down to 54 ft. below the elevation of the adjacent road way and will maintain the same longitudinal footprint as the existing seawall to be demolished. The existing seawall will be removed to two feet below the lowest winter beach sand profile and all existing rock revetment will be removed. An eleven foot tall curved seawall fascia that has been designed to minimize tidal and wave overtopping will be added to the seaward side and top of the piles after the existing seawall is removed.

More Info:

Coastal Commission:  http://www.coastal.ca.gov
Coastal Commission Staff Report for Permit # 4-11-026 may be downloaded at this link:
http://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2012/5/W23b-5-2012.pdf


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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

Recovering Ventura River Steelhead

An article titled 'Recovering Ventura River Steelhead' was published in May 2012 issue of The Osprey, a Journal Published by the Steelhead Committee of the Federation of Fly Fishers. It provides an overview of the history and current state of steelhead recovery efforts in the Ventura River. 

The article may be downloaded here http://www.ospreysteelhead.org/archives/TheOspreyIssue72.pdf

The Osprey archives: http://www.ospreysteelhead.org 

SERCAL conference 2013

On May 14 and 15, 2013, the California Society for Ecological Restoration held their annual conference in Santa Barbara. The Ventura River Parkway efforts were presented in a technical session as well as an all day field tour.  SERCAL is dedicated to the following objectives:

• To advance the science, art and practice of ecological restoration. 
• To educate our members and the public on sound scientific strategies and techniques of protecting, restoring and monitoring native habitat. 
• To develop and promote ethical standards for practitioners in the field of ecological restoration. 
• To facilitate communication among professionals and others with an interest in ecological restoration. 
• To advise and consult with public agencies and appropriate entities regarding the improvement of standards and criteria for ecological restoration. 

Ventura River Parkway—Reconnecting People with the River

Chair: Paul Jenkin, Surfrider Foundation
Wednesday 15 May 10:30A–12:00P
Ventura River Parkway—Reconnecting People With the River.
A. Paul Jenkin,Ventura Campaign Coordinator, Surfrider Foundation
It Takes a Community to Clean a River. Derek Poultney,Ventura Hillsides Conservancy
Habitat Restoration, Public Recreation, and Flood Control — Making the Most out of Conservation Properties in the Ventura River Watershed. Brian B. Stark, Conservation / Operations

Director – Ojai Valley Land Conservancy
Managed Retreat: Restoring Habitat, Resiliency, and Recreation at Surfers’ Point. Louis A. White, PE*1, Bob Battalio, PE1, David M. Hubbard2, and Paul Jenkin3. 1ESA PWA, 550 Kearny Street, Suite 800, San Francisco CA 94108. 

Tuesday May 14 - Full Day Field Tour 

The field tour included site visits to Surfers' Point, Ventura Hillsides Conservancy 'Willoughby property,'  Ojai Valley Land Conservancy preserves, and Matilija Dam.

SERCAL Field Tour at Matilija Dam, May 14, 2013

Sustainable Water Use in the Ventura River Watershed

On April 23, 2013 the Ventura River Watershed Council received a presentation from the UCSB/Bren School team on the results of their year-long Masters project titled 'Sustainable Water Use in the Ventura River Watershed.'

Bren project website http://www2.bren.ucsb.edu/~venturariver/

The project objectives are:

1. Create a comprehensive watershed model
2. Evaluate the effects of climate change and land use change on the water budget
3. Identify actionable water resource management projects
4. Propose a set of recommendations relevant to securing Proposition 84 funding, increasing water availability, and improving ecosystem function

The team based its analysis on a comprehensive water supply and demand model utilizing local data and the established WEAP software.  The model provides the opportunity to assess water management scenarios watershed-wide.  Development of this model was no small task given the complexity of our system with its multiple jurisdictions, water districts, and water users. Two graduate students worked as interns over the summer to compile data and 'connect the dots' between supply and demand throughout the watershed.  

Description of the Ventura River WEAP model

Once all the data was input, the model was validated by comparing modeled and measured stream flows and reservoir levels over the planning period.  From this a general water budget could be estimated. (note that this was based on the 'average' over the 1990-2009 planning period)

Water Budget from the Ventura River WEAP model

 Water management strategies were evaluated based on six criteria: ability to decrease demand, ability to increase supply, cost-effectiveness, benefits to ecosystem health, benefits to water quality, and suitability for Proposition 84 funding.  Results from the analysis suggest that, while climate and land use change have the potential to severely impact water availability within the watershed, implementing water resource management strategies can offset the impacts. 

Results for the Ocean Friendly Gardens scenario from the Ventura River WEAP model

Conclusions:

Consumer-based strategies such as ocean friendly gardens and greywater systems in single family homes were shown to be very cost-effective options for reducing water demand and increasing water supply, benefiting riparian ecosystem health. Although they are less cost-effective than consumer-based strategies, infrastructure-based solutions such as decentralized infiltration basins were shown to be viable pathways towards increasing water supplies and improving water quality. Results further suggest that the most effective option for decreasing demand within the watershed is by increasing water rates, thereby incentivizing conservation.

Recommendations:

• Encourage widespread adoption of ocean friendly gardens and greywater systems
• Implement a program to install a decentralized infiltration basins to capture stormwater runoff
• Increase lowest water rates in the watershed to the state average

Two workshops have been scheduled (May 16 and May 23) to train watershed council members so that this model can continue to be developed and used in watershed planning efforts.  For more info contact Bill O'Brien: billo@ngeneng.com

References:

Bren Project:

http://www2.bren.ucsb.edu/~venturariver/

Bren Final Report: http://gallery.mailchimp.com/23ecb819d89925323a8b96d15/files/Ventura_River_Final_Report_sm.pdf

WEAP Home page: http://www.weap21.org/

WEAP Tutorial: http://www.weap21.org/downloads/WEAP_Tutorial.pdf

On this blog:  http://www.venturariver.org/2012/05/ucsb-bren-school-project.html

Ventura River Parkway guide map

The Friends of the Ventura River has released a printed guide map of the recreational opportunities along the Ventura River corridor from the river mouth to Matilija Dam.  The parkway features a 17 mile  'class 1' bike path which connects numerous parks, open space, and trails which provide a diversity of outdoor opportunities.

The best part?  It exists today!

The maps are now available at outdoor retailers, visitor centers, and local bike shops in Ventura and Ojai.  The map was designed with support from the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, and printed by local Herald Printing with funding raised at last year's Salmon Run.

The Surfrider Foundation has been a sponsor and key organization in the Friends of the Ventura River coalition.

more info: FriendsofVenturaRiver.org

in the news:  http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/feb/16/coalition-plans-to-release-trail-map-for-ventura/
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McGrath State Beach flooding

This year's drought combined with the constant artificial flow into the Santa Clara River estuary have resulted in a flooded campground at McGrath State Beach.  As documented by the ongoing studies, up to 9 million gallons per day currently discharged from the City of Ventura's wastewater treatment plant create artificially high water levels in the coastal lagoon.  Winter floods naturally breach the lagoon, which then takes months to re-fill, but without significant river flows the sand berm keeps the rivermouth closed.  In 2010 an artificial breach resulted in rapid draining of the lagoon and death of steelhead trout and other endangered species.  (see Estuary breach kills fish)

photo: VCStar.com

This is just one symptom of a complex water management issue that begins at the Ventura River - this year the river has dried up at Foster Park, one of the the city's primary water supplies.  This water is piped to homes and businesses in the city, used once, and discarded as 'wastewater' which is treated and discharged into the Santa Clara River.  We continue to advocate for 'Integrated Water Management' that would increase water use efficiency though conservation and decentralized re-use.

Surfrider submitted written comments on February 28, 2013 that included this statement:

The Surfrider Foundation’s national ‘Know Your H2O’ campaign recognizes the importance of integrated water management as a solution to coastal problems. Many municipalities are responding to the global water crisis through the implementation of water recycling to diversify their water supplies. The SCRE Phase 2 study does an excellent job of identifying opportunities for wastewater reuse throughout the City of Ventura, and has identified a number of projects that may become components of an integrated water management strategy.

As we have commented previously, it is important to recognize that, on average, two thirds of the water discharged into the Santa Clara River Estuary comes from the Ventura River. The report notes that the city’s water supply is stretched thin, and this is evidenced in the current drought that has dried up the Ventura River, including the City’s wellfield at Foster Park. Cumulative impacts within the Ventura River have resulted in a 303d impairment listing for pumping and diversion. Therefore, a watershed-based strategy designed to restore instream resources and protect groundwater basins is essential to addressing multiple regulatory pressures and to ensure the long-term viability of the city’s water supply.
We agree with the general consensus from the stakeholder workshop that implementing Indirect Potable Reuse (IPR) and Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) within the City of Ventura is the highest and best use of the city’s wastewater. As discussed in the report, the Ventura River provides higher quality water than the groundwater on the East side. Therefore there is some merit to keeping Ventura River water within that watershed as proposed with the North side decentralized treatment plant. We also recommend that an East side decentralized wastewater treatment plant remain as a possible alternative in this strategy. This plant should be included in planning for urban expansion on the east side because treating and reusing water nearer its source would provide other long-term benefits. For instance, the location of the existing treatment plant within the floodplain of the Santa Clara River and an area of potential sea level rise inundation makes it vulnerable to catastrophic events that may require its relocation within the 50- to 100-year time frame. A citywide decentralized water reclamation system would reduce this vulnerability and limit the potential impacts from future flooding while increasing overall water use efficiency. 

...To summarize, we strongly support an expanded water-recycling program within the City of Ventura, but disagree with the analysis of habitat enhancement from the wastewater discharge into the Santa Clara Estuary. We encourage the City to continue to develop an integrated water management plan that considers the broader long-term benefits of increased water use efficiency.



In the news:
     mcgrath-state-beach-campground-flooded-closed
     A no-win situation in the McGrath State Beach flooding

More info: SCRE Special Studies - http://www.cityofventura.net/rivers

On this blog: http://www.venturariver.org/search/label/wastewater

Surfrider comment letter:  https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/39386757/SCRE%20Studies%20Surfrider%20comments%20Feb-2013.pdf

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