Ventura River
Coordinates: 34°16′32″N 119°18′28″W / 34.27556°N 119.30778°W[1]
The Ventura River is a river in Ventura County, California. The river forms at the confluence of Matilija Creek and North Fork Matilija Creek, 16.5 miles (26.6 km)[2] upstream from the Pacific Ocean. San Antonio Creek joins the river halfway to the ocean and Coyote Creek does the same a couple of miles downstream.
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[edit] Ecology
Genetic analysis of the steelhead in the Ventura river watershed (both above and below Matilija Dam) has shown them to be of native and not hatchery stocks.[3]
[edit] Dams
However, the flow from Coyote Creek has not been very large since the completion of Casitas Dam, which forms Lake Casitas. The dam is about 2 miles upstream of the junction with the Ventura River. There is also a dam on Matilija Creek, Matilija Dam. Completed in 1948, it was built to store 5,000 acre feet (6,200,000 m3) of water, but sediment has reduced its capacity by 90%. Many groups, including some governmental ones, are working towards the removal of the dam. On November 8, 2007, the 110th Congress overturned President Bush's veto of a bill delegating approximately $89.7M to the project. Finally, Robles Dam, which is 2 miles downstream from Matilija Dam, diverts water to Lake Casitas, further reducing the river's flow.
[edit] References
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ventura River
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed March 16, 2011
- ^ Anthony J. Clemento, Eric C. Anderson, David Boughton, Derek Girman, John Carlos Garza (2009). "Population genetic structure and ancestry of Oncorhynchus mykiss populations above and below dams in south-central California". Conservation Genetics: 1321–1336. http://www.springerlink.com/content/7305l85175847n20/fulltext.pdf. Retrieved 2011-06-11.
- Santa Barbara Channelkeeper
- Friends of the River - Matilija Dam
- United States Bureau of Reclamation - Ventura River Project
[edit] See also
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