OPEN SPACES
The latest news from the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy Working to Protect The Ojai Valley’s Future - Today
Vol. 10 No. 4
Fall 2003
Coming Together To Protect The Confluence Property erons, and H Egrets stalk fish and frogs along the riverbanks, while an Osprey flies overhead. Old Growth Cottonwood and Sycamores tower over lush undergrowth reminiscent of the Southern United States. The Ventura River and San Antonio Creek come together here in a deep willow forest just a few hundred yards from where thousands of commuters rush by every day. The Confluence Property, named for the merging of the Ojai Valley’s two major year-round streams, is a thirty-acre parcel of land threatened by potential development plans that would mar a scenic section of Highway 33 near Casitas Springs. Fortunately, the conservation-minded owners have agreed to work with the Conservancy and the Coastal Conservancy. They will sell 14-acres and grant a conservation easement on the remaining 16-acres. The property is considered a key piece of the Conservancy’s strategy to protect three miles of the lower sections of the Ventura River and San Antonio Creek. “The Conservancy has worked with us every step of the way,” says Lars Wallevik, son of the property owners. “We are so glad to know the property will be protected forever.” This open space bounds both sides of Highway 33 just south of the San Antonio Creek Bridge at the base of the Arnaz Grade near Oak View. Bicyclists and equestrians will recognize the parcel because the Ojai
Valley Bike and Bridal Path passes through the center of the proposed acquisition and easement. The old growth cottonwood and sycamore forest reaches more than one hundred feet above the surrounding riparian area. “The site contains the largest and best preserved example of oldgrowth riparian forest remaining on the Ventura River, and represents what large sections of the river looked like before the turn of the century,” explains Marc Capelli, Area Steelhead Recovery Coordinator for National Marine Fisheries. If successful in completing the project, the Conservancy hopes to close escrow in November with funds from State Bond Proposition 50. Old Growth Cottonwood and Sycamore
Ventura River at the confluence with San Antonio Creek