SUMMARY - Ecosystem Based Management (EBM)

Where: Ventura River Bioregion

What: Community-based restoration and watershed-based management

State: Stress from historic watershed alteration and increasing urban pressures. A comprehensive solution to watershed management and restoration has been limited by fragmented management. This is manifested in conflicts over water supply, precipitous declines in anadromous fish, flood damages, loss of habitat, beach erosion, and degraded water quality.

Strategy: to envision, promote, and ultimately implement "on the ground" restoration projects to demonstrate the viability of ecosystem-based management (EBM).

Tactics:
Communicating a shared vision through education and outreach; coordination and advocacy; and engaging the community and decision makers in EBM processes for the Ventura River watershed.
Conceptual planning through research, integration, conceptual design, visualization, technical review, and stakeholder perspective.
Monitoring through scientific, observational and policy scrutiny; policy review; agency communication/compliance; publicity; and legal action as needed.

Ventura Ecosystem Blog:
http://venturaecosystem.blogspot.com

Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration Project
The Matilija Coalition is an alliance of community groups, businesses, and individuals committed to the environmental restoration of the Ventura River watershed. Starting with the removal of Matilija Dam, we are working for the recovery of the bioregion to benefit the recovery of the Southern Steelhead trout and to restore the natural sediment supply to the beaches of Ventura.

Goals: Restore ecosystem connectivity to benefit anadromous fishery and coastal sediment supplies while enhancing water quality and reliability.

Learn more - matilija-coalition.org

Surfer's Point Managed Shoreline Retreat
For the past decade, we have been working with local and state government agencies to solve beach erosion problems at Surfers' Point. Our objectives are to relocate the bike path and parking inland, preserve public beach access, and restore the beach to natural conditions.

Goals: Restore coastal ecosystem function by relocating damaged infrastructure to reestabalish the natural "erosion buffer zone," dune and intertidal habitat, and mitigate existing water quality impacts.

Learn more - surferspoint.org

Watershed Restoration

Goals: Restore and enhance ecosystem function to support water supply, water quality, habitat and recreation; and influence local policy and planning

Ventura Ecosystem Blog:
http://venturaecosystem.blogspot.com

Urban Renewal

Goals: Promote a plan for urban storm water management in a small coastal watershed and identify potential pilot project opportunities including parks, streetscapes, storm drain retrofits, and coastal wetlands restoration.

Solving the Urban Runoff Problem - A Vision for the Urban Watershed - Ventura, California. This document outlines an integrated watershed approach to solving the urban runoff problem in a small coastal drainage within the City of Ventura. Download .pdf >>>

Solving The Urban Runoff Problem Poster