April 25th Watershed Council Meeting to Focus on the Lack of Rain
With the peak of the rainy season now behind us, water managers in the Ventura River watershed likely have about all the water they’re going to get for the year. And for the second year in a row, it was not much. The Robles Diversion, the canal that brings water from the Ventura River to Lake Casitas, remained dry all winter, and the winter before that the diversion saw water on only one or two days. The 2012 rain season had about 50 percent of average rainfall, and 2013 is at about 40 percent as of now.
The dry conditions, and what it means for water supplies, will be the focus of the Ventura River Watershed Council’s biannual evening meeting on Thursday April 25th, from 6:00 – 8:30pm, at the Oak View Community Center, 18 Valley Road in Oak View. Twice a year evening meetings are held with the purpose of making it easier for members of the community to participate in the Council. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.
Local water managers-including Steve Wickstrum, Casitas Municipal Water District general manager; Shana Epstein, Ventura Water general manager; Bert Rapp, Ventura River County Water District general manager; Toby Moore, Golden State Water Company’s chief hydrogeologist; Mike Hollebrands, Meiners Oaks Water District general manager; and Jerry Conrow, Ojai Basin Groundwater Management Agency board chair – will discuss their perspectives on and responses to the water supply situation.
Also on the agenda is the final report on the “Sustainable Water Use in the Ventura River Watershed” project by a team from the UCSB Bren School of Environmental Science & Management. The study sought to identify water management strategies that effectively reduce water demand and increase water supply. A water budget model of the watershed was created using the WEAP System (Water Evaluation and Planning System). This model, combined with economic analysis, was used to assess the impact of water management strategies, land use change, and climate change on local water resources. Here is a link the Bren student’s final report and presentation.
A draft of the list of possible projects and programs to be included in the Ventura River Watershed Management Plan will also be reviewed, as well as a framework for organizing the projects/programs into meaningful groups.
April 25th meeting agenda.
April 12 Tri-County Fish Team Meeting
“Navigating the Stream Restoration Permit Process”
The next Tri-County Fish Team meeting will be held tomorrow, April 12, 2013 from 1:00-4:00 pm at the Ventura City Hall Community Meeting Room. The focus for the meeting will be navigating the stream restoration permit process. If you are not able to attend, but have questions for the permit panel guests, you can forward your questions to karissa.willits@ccc.ca.gov, and they will see that your questions are received and answered.
Meeting agenda