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cc, n COASTAL ZONE INFORMATION CENTER ve t;upa (;Oalttvg Gall*foipnta SURVEY REPORT FOR BEACH EROSION CONTROL MAIN REPORT "T s '4, W@-, 4@ "MA"'M"@,% N ;p poit% M 9" '71 ',gq, Of z, il- 4llAil'@tzlllw 7 777, 777,,Ti Room", im , ll@ % V) .......... GB 459.5 .c2 L62 1978 U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, LOS ANGELES D ISTRICT DECEMBER 1978 13743 VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA SURVEY REPORT FOR BEACH EROSION CONTROL Property Of CSC Library Prepared by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, California Jack R. Klarin Project Manager Shore Protection Section Coastal Resources Branch December 1978 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMM COASTAL SERVICES CENTER 2234 SOUTH HOBSON AVENUE CHARLESTON,SC 29405 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers GB459 5.C2 162 1978 i* oct 1 1987 qNq'00q0 8qL6qo VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA SURVEY REPORT FOR BEACH EROSION CONTROL SYLLABUS The District Engineer finds that there are insufficient benefits to justify Federal participation in any shore protection projects in Ventura County at this time. It is,concluded that there is no demand for additional beach area in the foreseeable future because overall, there is adequate beach area and a slowing populaton growth in the tributary area. Analyses of the economic, photographic, and coastal data have determined that, at the present-, except for the private areas of Oxnard Shores and County Line Beach, beach erosion control projects are economically infeasible. No authorization now exists for Federal participation in private areas, therefore participation in the financing of beach erosion control projects by the Federal government in Ventura County is precluded. VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA SURVEY REPORT FOR BEACH EROSION CONTROL TABLE OF CONTENTS Item rMe THE STUDY AND REPORT 1 AUTHORITY AND PURPOSE 1 SCOPE OF STUDY .2 STUDY PARTICIPANTS AND COORDINATION 2 PRIOR REPORTS 4 DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA T GEOGRAPHIC SETTING. T ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING 14 DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMY 18 EXISTING U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS PROJECTS 23 OTHER PROJECTS 27 PROBLEMS AND NEEDS 28 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 28, DAPROVIT@=S DESIRED 43 SOCIOECONOMIC CONCERNS 43 ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS 44 DEMAND ANALYSIS 45 PLAN FORMULATION 48 ALTERNATIVES 49. IMPACT ASSESSMENT 53 EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES 57 ECONOMIC ANALYSIS 57. CONCLUSIONS 62 RECOMMENDATIONS 6.3 TABLES Title Prior reports 5 Wage and salary emDlovment bv industrv, July 1977 and July 1978 20 Recreational demand for beach area, 1975-2020 47 Needs and possible alternatives 50 Shore protection measures and their imnacts 54 Benefits-costs analysis 61 TABLE OF.CONTENTS - Continued 'PHOTOGRAPHS Title Lage Upcoast view of Mussel Shoals, Dec. 2, 1976 Downcoast view of Hobson Park, Mar. 15, 19T8 30 Downcoast view of Faris, Park, Mar. 15, 19T8 .31 Downcoast view of Emma Wood State Beach, Mar. 15, 1978 )31 Upcoast view of 31st Agricultural District Association, Mar. 15, 1978 35 Upcoast view of Surfer's Point Park, Mar. 15, 19T8 35 Upcoast view of Surfer's Point from San Buenaventura State Beach, Mar. 15, 19T8 36 Downcoast view of San Buenaventura State Beach from Surfer's Point, Mar. 15, 1978 36 Upcoast view of groin field at San Buenaventura State Beach, Mar. 15, 1978 37 Downcoast view of groin No. 1, San Buenaventura State Beach, Mar. 15,.1978 37 Upcoast view of Mandalay Beach Park, Mar. 15, 1978 .38 Upcoast view of northern part of Oxnard Shores adjacent to Mandalay Road, Mar. 15, 1978 3E Upcoast view of Oxnard Shores, Mar. 15, 1978 39 Downcoast view of Oxnard Shores, Mar. 15, 1978 35 Downcoast view of Silver Strand Beach Park, Dec. 2, 1976 4C Downcoast view of Port Hueneme Beach,, Mar. 15, 1978 - 4c Upcoast view of County Line Beach, Sept. 7. 1972 42 Downcoast view of County Line Beach looking toward Sequit Point, Dec. 2, 1976 42@ TABLE OF CONTENTS Continued PLATES No. Title 1. Ventura County coastline 2. Shoreline ownership APPENDIXES No. Title 1. Significant environmental features and concerns 2. Tributary area analysis 3. Coastal data 4. Wave and longshore transport climate 5. Pertinent correspondence VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA SURVEY REPORT FOR BEACH.EROSION CONTROL THE STUDY AND REPORT The Ventura County shoreline is along the coast of southern California between Los Angeles County and Santa Barbara County. (See pl. 1.) The shoreline has long been the scene of beach erosion, varying from minor to critical; therefore, concern over the potential damage to public and private property prompted the Board of Supervisors, County of Ventura, to pass a Resolution on February 9, 19T1, to request the United States Congress to provide funds for a beach erosion control study of the Ventura County coast- line. In response to this request, Congress provided authority and funds to initiate this study through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. AUTHORITY AND PURPOSE This report presents the results of the beach erosion control study made of the shoreline of Ventura County, California. This investigation was carried out in accordance with the following resolution sponsored by the la te Congressman Charles Teague and adopted October ig, 1967, by the Committee on Public Works, United States House of Representativest Resolved by the Committee on Public Works of the House of Representatives, United States, that, in accordance with Section 110 of the River and Harbor Act of 1962, the Secretary of the Army is hereby requested to direct the Chief of Engineers, to make a survey of the shores of Ventura County, California, and such adjacent areas as may be necessary in the interest of beach erosion control and related purposes. The purpose of this study is to: (a) evaluate the various aspects of the beach erosion problems along the Ventura County coastline; and (b) determine the extent of Federal interest in the problem areas. SCOPE OF STUDY The study area encompasses 41.2 miles of Ventura County shoreline, extending from Rincon Point at the Santa Barbara County line downcoast to Sequit Point near the Los Angeles County line. (See pl. 1.) STUDY PARTICIPANTS AND COORDINATION LOCAL SPONSOR The Department of Public Works, Ventura County, provided technical data and valuable assistance to the Los Angeles District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, during the entire study period. 2 GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES Close liaison was maintained with all governmental agencies having property ownership or jurisdiction over the shoreline. These agencies consisted of the. U.S. Naval Construction Battalion Center at Port Hueneme, the Point Mugu Naval Air Station, the State of California Department of Transportation, the State of California Parks and Recreation Department, the State of California 31st Agricultural District Association, the Ventura County Parks Department, the Ventura County Harbor Department, the Ventura Port District, the City of San Buenaventura Parks and Recreation.Department, the City of Oxnard Planning Department, and the City of Port Hueneme Public Works Department. In addition to these agencies, close coordination was had with and valuable information was obtained from the State of California Department of Navigation and Ocean Development, the State Lands Commission, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. CITIZENS' COORDINATING COMMITTEE Public involvement was maintained from the start of the study by the formation of a citizens$ coordinating committee shortly after the initial public meeting. Meeting bimonthly, the Ventura County Citizens' Advisorv. Committee, composed of private citizens and public emp:@oyees. Drovided valuable input to the study by obtaining comments from the public regarding their problems and concerns. 3 PUBLIC MEETINGS An initial public meeting was held on June 22, 19T2, to provide all interested individuals and organizations the opportunity to express their ideas and comments on the beach erosion problems and also to express their desires and needs. For a more detailed discussion of the concerns of the public, refer to a subsequent section titled "Problems and Needs. PRIOR REPORTS Prior reports of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the general study area are shown in the following table. In addition to these reports, several technical studies concerning the sand bypassing at Port Hueneme, and the submarine topography and sedimentation of Mugu Canyon have been prepared for the U.S. Army Coastal Research Center at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. A report has been prepared by the Ventura County Public Works Department entitled "Report of Beach Erosion and Damages to the Ventura County Shoreline," June 1972. File copies of the above reports are available for inspection in the office of the Los Angeles District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 4 PRIOR REPORTS VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Title Date Document Ventura Harbor, California Feb. 25, 1916 H. Doc. 792 64th Cong. lst sess. Appendix I, Coast of California, Oct. 24, 1952 H. Doc. 29 Carpinteria to Point Mugu, Beach 83d Cong. Erosion Control Study lst sess. Port Hueneme, California Apr. 2, 1954 H. Doc. 362 83d Cong. 2d sess. Design Memorandum No. 1, General May 1957 Unpublished. Design for Harbor and Shore Protection Works near Port Hueneme, California Beach Erosion Control Report on Apr. 5, 196o Do. on Cooperative Study of Coast of Southern California, Point Conception to Mexican Boundary, Appendix VII, Interim Report Coast of Southern California Special June 25, 1962 H. Doc. 458 Interim Report on the Ventura Area, 87th Cong. Cooperative Beach Erosion Control Study 2d sess. Design Memorandums for Beach Erosion Control, Ventura-Pierpont Bay Area, California Phase 1 Construction Feb. 1962 Unpublished. Phase 2 Construction June 1964 Do. Phase 3 Construction Feb. 1966 Do. Beach Erosion Control Report on Aug. 24, 1962 Do. Cooperative Study of Coast of Southern California, Point Conception to Mexican Boundary, Appendix VII, 2nd Interim Report Beach Erosion Control Report on June 1967 Do. Cooperative Study of Coast of Southern California, Cape San Martin to Mexican Boundary, Appendix VII, Final Report 5 PRIOR REPORTS Continued VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Title Date Document Port Hueneme Harbor, California july 16, 1968 H. Doc. 362 90th Cong. 2d sess. Ventura Marina, California july 16, 1968 H. Doc. 356 90th Cong. 2d sess. Beach Erosion Control Report Coopera- mar. 1969 Unpublished. tive Research and Data Collection Program of Coast of Southern California, Cape San Martin to Mexican Boundary, Three Year Report 1964-1965-1966 Beach Erosion Control Report, Coopera- Dec. 1970 Unpublished. tive Research and Data Collection Program of Coast of Southern California, Cape San Martin to Mexican Boundary, Three Year Report 1967-1968-1969 Design Memorandum No. 1, General Design, Feb. 1974 Unpublished. Port Hueneme Harbor, California 6 DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA The backshore area of Ventura County is developed'over much of its length, especially in the vicinity of Ventura, Oxnard, and Port Hueneme. A great deal of the county's shoreline is publicly owned and available for recreation. Exceptions include the private communities of Seacliff Beach Colony, Faria Beach Colony, Solimar Beach Colony, and Oxnard Shores, and the Federal property at Point Mugu Naval Air Station. Harbors along this coastline include Ventura Marina, Channel Islands Harbor, and Port Hueneme. Plate 2, "Shoreline Ownership," indicates public and private shoreline frontage ownership (29 miles publicly owned and 12 miles privately owned) shoreline frontage ownership in accordancei-I.,with information provided by the Ventura County Public Works Agency. GEOGRAPHIC SETTING Ventura County is bordered on the north, east, and west by Kern, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara counties. To the south, the Pacific Ocean provides a 41.2-mile coastline. In total, the county covers 1,843 square miles. The county presents considerable geographical variety; physical features vary from coastal beaches and fertile plains to the rugged inland mountains. TOPOGRAPHY The foothills and the coastal plains that comprise the Ventura coastline and the drainage areas that supply sediment to the beaches are in the Transverse Range physiographic province. This province consists of foothills and mountain ranges that trend east-west and is composed of a basement complex of crystalline rocks overlain by marine and continental sediments, volcanic rocks, and younger and older alluvium. Beach sand and gravel cover parts of the coastline; and sand, silt, and mud cover much of the shelf offshore, except for a few areas where rocks are present. Relief along the coastline varies from the gently sloping Oxnard plain to the steep, almost sheer 200- to 400-foot cliffs found along a 14-mile section of coastline from Rincon Point to Ventura. The maximum elevations along the coastline are 1,965 feet at Clark's Peak in the Santa Monica Mountains and 2,161 feet at Rincon Mountain, 9 miles northwest of Ventura. REGIONAL GEOLOGY The drainage areas which furnish sediments to the beaches consist of the Ventura River Basin, Santa Clara River Basin, and Calleguas-Simi Creek Basin. Bedrock in these drainage areas consists of a basement comple* of crystalline rock overlain by marine and continental sediments and some volcanics. Sedimentaries in the area are of Quaternary and Tertiary age and some Cretaceous. The Quaternary terrace deposits have a considerable extent in Ojai Valley, the foothills south of Ventura, the Saugus 8 and Santa Paula Creek regions, the headwaters of Piru Creek and the Santa Clara River between the Pacific Ocean and the county line. Tertiary sedi- mentaries are found along all three drainage basins. they consist of sandstone, siltstone, clay shale and mudstone and are the major sand produc- ing strata in the area. The Ventura River and its tributaries flow across a thick section of these sedimentaries,* which are exposed in belts in a general east-west trend acrost the basin. Cretaceous sediments occur in isolated deposits along the upper reach of Calleguas Creek. Volcanics are found mostly in the mountain area south of Calleguas and Conejo Creek. GEOLOGY OF THE COASTLINE The coastline from Rincon Point at the Santa Barbara County line downcoast to the Ventura River, a distance of about 13 miles is charac- terized by steep bluffs composed of Tertiary marine sediments overlain by Pleistocene marine and nonmarine terrace deposits of sand and gravel. The marine sediments are the Miocene Monterey formation, described as shales, claystones, and diatomaceous shales; and the Pliocene Pico formation, described as siltstones, shales, and conglomerates. The sedimentary rocks have been uplifted into a series of northwest trending domelike anticlines and basinlike synclines. These structures have been further modified by northwest trending faults. Evidence of former shorelines, now uplifted, are seen as marine terraces, especially at Punta Gorda where there are 200- to 400-foot-high cliffs. 9 Downcoast from the Ventura River, the shoreline extends about 1 mile east to the San Buenaventura State Beach pier, then turns in a southeast direction for about 3 miles to the mouth of the Santa dlara River. The sediments exposed in this part of the coastline, known as Pierpont Bay, are older fan deposits, described as sands and gravels; and deltaic deposits, described as silts, sands, and clays. These Recent sediments are underlain by a sequence of Tertiary marine and nonmarine sediments; lower Pleistocene marine sediments; and upper Pleistocene alluvial flood plain deposits of clay, silt, sand, and gravels to an undetermined depth. The Oakridge fault, an east-west trending fault that parallels the Santa Clara River for about 30 miles, intercepts the coastline at Ventura Marina, which is south of Pierpont Bay. Downcoast from the Santa Clara River to Calleguas Creek, about 15 miles, the shoreline forms the seaward limit of the Oxnard Plain, which is a broad flood plain that is formed by meandering streams and backfilled lagoons. During Recent geologic time, both Calleguas Creek and the Santa Clara River deposited alluvial material to this plain. Windblown sands, back bay deposits, and other shallow marine sediments were also deposited along the shoreline. Tertiary marine and nonmarine sediments and Pleistocene marine sediments underlie the Recent sediments to an undetermined depth. Mugu Canyon forms the southeast boundary of the Oxnard Plain and the seaward end of Calleguas Creek. Mugu Lagoon, at the mouth of the canyon, is a Recent geological feature formed by a subsiding coast and a rising sea level. 10 Downcoast from Calleguas Creek, the shoreline trends southeast about 2 miles to Point Mugu, a projecting headland of the Santa Monica Mountains, then continues southeast about 8 miles to the Los Angeles County line. The Santa Monica Mountains are on an east-west trending, domelike, anticlinal structure, composed of marine and nonmarine sediments and volcanic rocks. The sediments are the Vaqueros sandstone and conglomerate, both of the Miocene age. The volcanic rocks are the Conejo volcanics, composed of basalts, ande- sites, and breccias, also of the Miocene age. The Santa Monica-Malibu fault lies a few miles offshore to the south and trends east-west. The Sycamore Canyon fault trends northeast-southwest and intercepts the shoreline about 1 mile upcoast from Point Mugu. The Calleguas Creek fault trends almost north-south along Calleguas Creek and intercepts the shoreline at Mugu Lagoon. GROUND WATER Ground water is only found in the Oxnard Plain along that part of the coastline from Ventura to Mugu Lagoon. The remaining coastline has narrow beaches that are usually bordered by cliffs of impervious bedroc k. Ground water obtained either from near the narrow beaches or from the impervious bedrock would generally be highly mineralized and of poor quality. EARTHQUAKES Earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 6.0 to 7-7 have occurred during the Past 50 years in the Santa Barbara Channel 20 to 30 miles west of the study area and in the White Wolf fault zone 50 miles to the north. About 40 miles east of the study area, a destructive earthquake occurred with a mag- nitude of 6.4 at its epicenter, which was about 14 miles north of San Fernando. Other earthquakes of lesser magnitudes have occurred along the coastline, particularly offshore from Point Mugu at the southern edge of Ventura County. LITTORAL MATERIAL Most of the beach material in the area under consideration is derived from sediment carried to the shore by rainfall runoff from the numerous short streams draining the south slope of the Santa Ynez Mountains between Carpin- teria and Ventura, from the Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers, and from littoral drift from the beaches downcoast from Santa Barbara. Geologic investigations and stream sedimentation studies indicate that the beach material consists mostly of sand. The amount of material transported by the streams is determined by the intensity of rainfall, the stream gradient, the extent of granulation of surface rocks, and the absorptive capacity of the soil at the beginning of each rainfall episode. Deltas at the mouths of coastal streams in the 12 southern California area are an indication of the beach replenishing effect of runoff during floods. The material contributed by the various streams is distributed along-the shore by wave action. Stream-'deltas are cut back by wave.forces, and the material is distributed generally in a downcoast direction to adjacent beaches. Although there are no natural barriers to downcoast drift in this area, accretion on the upcoast sides of the arti- ficial barriers at Santa Barbara-and at Port Hueneme indicates a predominant downcoast movement of littoral material along this shore. The composition of the beach material in the Ventura area has been previously determined by the Corps of Engineers, Appendix I, Coast of California, Carpinteria to Point Mugu, in its report entitled "Beach Erosion Control Study." As determined by'sieve analysis, the grain size of the beach material indicates that it is sand. The median diameter of the beach sand between Carpinteria and the Santa Clara River ranges from .199 to .380 millimeter, and the average for the area is .248 millimeter. @The average median diameter of the beach sand between the Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers is .2T5 millimeter. A study of the sieve analysis indicates that the mean grain size of the beach sand increases slightly with the distance downcoast from Carpinteria to the Ventura River; that the grain size increases more at the delta area of the Ventura River; and that the grain size increases sharply in the delta area of the Santa Clara River. The general conclusion is that the rivers-add sand of.larger median size than that of sand moving downcoast from Santa Barbara and that the general trend is an increase in grain size downcoast. 13 SOURCES OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL The closest source of durable quarry stone is southeast of Camarillo, near Conejo Mountain, which is about 20 miles southeast of Ventura. This stone is durable but light in weight, having an apparent specific gravity of about 2.45. The closest source of heavier stone is Soledad Quarry, which is about 55 miles northwest of Ventura. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING The Ventura County coastline from Rincon Point downcoast to Sequit Point is about 41 miles long and is composed of about 20 miles of sandy beach, about 11 miles of cobble or rocky shoreline, and about 10 miles of seawalls or rocky revetments. The Mugu Lagoon entrance, the Ventura and Santa Clara River mouths, Rincon Island (a manmade structure), and three manmade harbors -- Ventura Marina, Channel Islands, and Port Hueneme -- are prominent features. The following paragraphs summarize the environmental setting along the coastline. A more detailed discussion of the environmental setting is contained in appendix 1. LITTORAL CONDITIONS Although within a warm-temperate marine region, this west- and southwest- facing open coast is exposed to severe wave action. High wave energy forces 14 are especially prevalent in the winter, creating considerable shoreline instability. The shoreline falls within the Santa Barbara littoral cell (Inman and Frautschy, 1966). This cycle of littoral transportation and sedimentation derives its sand from the Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers. Transportation occurs as the result of wave action and longshore currents. The most frequent surface currents are from the southwest, and a downcoast movement is typical. SAND DUNES Because sand dunes provide a unique coastal vegetation and wildlife habitat, they are considered a signific&at natural resource. These areas of surplus sand occur near Port Hueneme, at the southeast end of Point Mugu State Beach Park, and at several other areas along the coast, includ- ing the "Hobo Jungle" south of Enm Wood State Beach. OCEAN WATER QUALITY The chemical properties of the seawater appear characteristic of similar, well mixed nearshore environments along the southern California coast. 15 BIOLOGICAL ENVIRON MEN T The study area contains long stretches of sandy beach that are inter- spersed with hard substrate (rock and cobblestone) and with many tide pool, alreas. Several locally unique habitats, such as marshlands, estuaries, lagoons, and sand dunes, are present. These features, in addition to the nearshore environments, provide habitats for a variety of significant biological resources, such as shore birds, invertebrate species, fish, marine mammals, and kelp. Several rare, threatened, and endangered faunal species are present, including important avifauna, such as the California least tern, the California brown pelican, and the southern bald eagle. A list of the rare, threatened, and endangered species in the Ventura County coastal area is presented in appendix 1. RECREATIONAL ENVIRONMENT The Ventura County coastline provides open coast beaches suitable for swimming and for other beach activities, such as fishing, hiking, camping, sightseeing, education, wildlife observation, and some of the best surfing along the southern California coast. Regional opportunities are discussed in greater detail in appendixes I and 2. 16 ARCHEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL ENVIRONMENT Aboriginal occupation within the Ventura County coastal area may extend as far back as 7000 B.C. The Chumash peoples who occupied the area at the time of European contact developed a complex culture that is considered unique among most hunting and gathering societies. The area was densely populated. At least 10 major village sites are mentioned in the literature. Seven aboriginal sites were located during the current study. Four of these sites appear to be eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places and for preservation. These sites are located at Emma Wood State Beach, at Point Mugu Naval Air Station, and at County Line Beach. Rearshore areas at Rincon Pointand at Surfer's Point have produced, submerged aboriginal artifacts. Shipwrecks, which are considered to be of significant cultural importance, are present within the.vicinities of San Buenaventura State Beach, McGrath State Beach, and.the Port Hueneme area. There is evidence to suggest that other areas within the nearshore waters of the Ventura coastline contain cultural remains that represent a consider- able tim.espan. These cultural remains may include aboriginal sites inundated as a result of P_ rise in the sea level, sunken canoes and artifacts from coastal sites, and shipwrecks from 16th century European explorers to present'day mariners (Hudson, 1976; Moriarty, 1961; Bureau of Land Management, 1978). 17 Historic sites representing European settlement were not observed within the study area. DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMY Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese navigator, landed on the shore of what is now Ventura County in 1542 where he was greeted by the friendly Chilmash Indians inhabiting the area. In 1782, Father Junipero Serra dedicated Mission San Buenaventura, named in honor of a sainted Franciscan monk who lived in the 13th century. In 1872, the county was created from part of Santa Barbara County and the name was abbreviated to Ventura. Through the mid-19th century, the area's economy was agriculturally oriented. By the 18601s, however, oil was discovered in the county; and by 1900, the county had become an important area of petroleum production. This century has seen considerable diversification of the county's economy. At present, the largest employment sectors in the county are (in order): government, wholesale and retail trade, services, and manufacturing. RECREATION AND TOURISM Recreational facilities in Ventura County attract many visitors, as well as residents. State beaches and parks on the ocean front, harbors, and marinas make water sports a favorite form of recreation in the county. At inland lakes and parks, camping, picnicking, and freshwater sports are 18 enjoyed; while riding and hiking may be pursued in the Los. Padres National Forest. At the Mt. Pinos Recreation Area, near the county's northern border, winter sports facilities are available. See recreational demand study for projections. POPULATION Thd latest estimates for population centers of Ventura County (as of January 1, 197) show the largest city to be Oxnard, which has a popula- tion of 90,880. Other major centers and their estimated populations include: Simi Valley (T2,209), Ventura (6T,OT6), Thousand Oaks (62,ol6), Camarillo (26,463),- Santa Paula (18,693), and Port Hueneme (19,491). The estimated population for Ventura County in January 1977 is 459,351. For projections see table in Appendix 2, entitled "Historical and projected population of tributary area of beach and camper usage, 1950-2020." EMPLOYMENT Total civilian employment in Ventura County dropped from 192,000 in June 1978 to 187,200 in July. This was the second consecutive month,of declining employment in the county. Compared-with June 1977 employment has increased by 6,700 or 3.7 percent. 19 Over the year, nonagricultural wage and salary employment grew by 2.3 percent. Gains were registered in mining, transportation and public utilities, wholesale trade, retail trade, federal government and services. Manufacturing and finance, insurance and real estate held steady over the year and declines occurred in construction and state and local government. Wage and Salary Employment by Industry, July 19TT and July 1978 Ventura County, California July 1978 July 1977 All industries - total. 144,200 142,4oo Agriculture, forestry, fisheries 17,4oo 18,4oo Nonagricultural industries 126,8oo 124,ooo Mining 2,300 2,200 Construction 5,700 5,900 Manufacturing 19,4oo 19,4oo Durable goods 13,300 13,300 Stone, clay, glass 300 300 Machinery 5,8oo 5,900 Trans. equip. 3,4oo 3,4oo Other durables 3,8oo 3,700 Nondurable goods 6,loo 6.1oo Food and kindred 1,500 1,6oo Printing and Dublishing 1,100 10100 Other nondurable goods 3,500 3,4oo Transportation and public utilities 5,300 5,200 Wholesale trade 6,200 5,8oo Retail trade 26,4oo 23,900 Finance, insurance, real estate 5,100 5,100 Services 2P,4oo 21,900 Government 34,ooo 34,6oo Federal 10,000 9,8oo State and local 24,ooo 24,8oo NOTE: Employment reported by place of work excluding workers involved in labor disputes. Current month preliminarv; past months revised. SOURCE: Employment Development Department, State of California 20 CONSTRUCTION AND DEPARTMENT STORE SALES Comparing July, 1978, with the year-earlier month, the component indexes measuring building permit valuations and department store sales reported increases, while a small year-to-year decline was posted by the real estate sales index. It should be noted, however, that the region's building permit valuations index was unusually active in June. The 22.4 percent month-to-month surge of the index in 1978 compared vith a 3.6 -percent increase in June of 1977 and a 3.8 percent advance in June, 1976. A significant portion of the June, 1978, growth in building activity was related to a rush by developers to obtain building permits before July 1, when new statewide energy conserva- tion standards were to take effect for all hew construction. AGRICULTURE Agriculture continues to play an important economic role in Ventura County's economy, it ranked eleventh in the state in total gross value of agricultural products for 1977. In 1977, the total valuation of agricultural products marketed reached $307,837,000. This figure was 14 percent above the 1976 total valuation figure,@with lemons, valencia oranges, and straw- berries the leading products in this category. The vegetables category ranked second in terms of 1977 total marketed value. The principal vegetable 21 products were lettuce, tomatoes and celery. This category was followed by the livestock, poultry, and dairy category; the leading products in this group were eggs and other poultry products. PER CAPITA INCOME The per capita personal income for the years 1970-77 for Ventura County are as follows: $3,988 (1970), $4,099 (1971), $4,378 (1972), $4,716 (1973), $5,114 (1974), $5,507 (1975), $5,995 (1976), and $6,502 (1977). About 65 percent of the total personal income is received in the form of wages and salaries. "Real disposal personal income per capita" has risen by about 13 percent in the past 10 years. 22 EXISTING U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS PROJECTS There are six existing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects - four coastal and two flood control and they are described briefly in the follow- ing paragraphs. VENTURA RIVER LEVEE This flood control project, authorized by the 1944 Flood Control Act (H. Doc. 323, 77th Cong., lst sess.), was completed in December 1948. The levee, which is along the left bank of the lower Ventura River, protects the City of Ventura from floods on the Ventura River. SAN BUENAVENTURA STATE (VENTURA-PIERPONT AREA) This beach erosion control project was authorized by the 1954 River and Harbor Act (H. Doc. 29, 83d Cong., lst sess.) and was modified by the 1962 River and Harbor Act (H. Doc. 458, 87th Cong., 2d sess.). Three stages of the five-stage construction were completed by March 1967 and consisted of seven groins and about 882,000 cubic yards of beach fill. In February 1974, the last two stages were reclassified to the "deferred" status, pending demonstra- 23 tion of need. Periodically, sand is deposited between the groins during the maintenance dredging of Ventura Marina. The last deposition of sand was made in December 1975. The construction of 700 feet of revetment, repair of a 30-inch storm sever and a 6-inch waterline, and replacement of about 5,000 cubic yards of beach fill were completed as emergency work in January 1973. One groin was removed and was later restored as emergency work in February 1973. Since the completion of the emergency vork in 1973, the existing groin field has been functioning satisfactorily. During the recent storms of 1977-78, no unusual or large amounts of erosion were reported. VENTURA MARINA This recreational harbor, built and financed by the local interests, was completed in 1963. The 1968 River and Harbor Act (H. Doc. 356, q0th Cong., 2d sess.) authorized the maintenance of the existing general navigation features and the modification of the existing harbor by constructing an offshore break- water 1,500 feet long, by dredging about 800,000 cubic yards of material to form a sand trap in the lee of the breakwater, and by constructing recreational facilities on the jetty crests. The dredging of the sand trap was completed in December 1971; the construction of the breakwater was completed in February 1972; and the construction of the recreational facilities was completed in February 1973. The last maintenance dredging of the entrance channel and of the sand trap was completed in July 1977. About 8oo,ooo 24 cubic yards of material from the sand trap are usually deposited biennially on McGrath State Beach, which is downcoast from the mouth of the Santa Clara River. Operation and maintenance funds have been authorized to study the feasibility of installing an effective fixed sand bypass system for Ventura Marina to,be applied to small craft harbors where shoaling is a constantly recurring,problem and a hazard to small craft. During the past fiscal year, five hydrographic surveys were completed in the entrance channel and sand trap areas. This data has been analyzed by Waterways Experimental Station at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and a preliminary draft report has been prepared. In addition, a review report to study possible improvements of the entrance channel has been proposed. SANTA CLARA RIVER LEVEE IMPROVEMENT This flood control project, authorized by the 1948 Flood Control Act (H. Doc. 443, 80th Cong., lst sess.), was completed in April 1961. The improve- ment, a unit in an overall plan that also includes the Santa Paula Creek channel and debris basins (including Mud Creek) flood control project (not yet constructed), extends along the left side of the Santa Clara River from the west end of South Mountain to the bridge on U.S. Highway 101. The levee protects property on the Oxnard Plain, including the City of Oxnard, Port Hueneme, and valuable agricultural areas from most floods on the Santa Clara River. 25 CHANNEL ISLANDS HARBOR (PORT HUENEME HARBOR) The 1954 River and Harbor Act (H. Doc. 362, 83d Cong., 2d sess.) authorized the construction of this small-craft harbor and of shore protection works. The authorized project was modified by the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in 1957. The construction of the jetties and of the offshore break- water was completed by October 1960. The dredging of the harbor and of the sand trap was completed in August 1961. In constructing the harbor, about 6,238,000 cubic yards of dredged material were deposited on the downcoast shore- line to protect the beach between Port Hueneme and Mugu Lagoon. The sand trap in the shelter of the 2,300-foot-long offshore breakwater is dredged biennially of about 2,500,000 cubic yards of material. A small amount of sand was deposited on Silver Strand Beach Park and the remainder was deposited on Port Hueneme Beach from the last dredging, which was completed in June 19T8. PORT HUENEME This harbor is a manmade improvement that was constructed by the Oxnard Harbor District in 1940. The U.S. Navy acquired this harbor by condemnation in 1942. The 1968 River and Harbor Act (H. Doc. 362, 90th Cong., 2d sess.) authorized the modernization and expansion of the existing harbor and the maintenance of the modified harbor. The lengthening, deepening, and widening of part of channel A, included in the Federal project, were completed by the local intersts in May 19T2 under the agreement that was made pursuant to section 215 of the 1968 Flood Control Act. The deepening of the centi-al basin and of 26 part of channel A was completed in September 19T5. In July 1974, the lengthen- to ing of the remainder of channel A was "deferred, pending demonstration of need. OTHER PROJECTS Several governmental agencies have constructed shore protection measures along the Ventura County coastline. The State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has constructed rock revetment adjacent to the State highway in the Rincon and the Point Mugu areas, seaward from the homes at Seacliff Beach Colony, and seaward from the camping sites at Hobson Park. The newly constructed revetment at Hobson Park performed satisfactorily in the recent storms of the winter of 1977-1978, with only small stones being displaced in the parking areas. Caltrans has also recently repaired the old highway's revetment from Hobson Park downcoast to Emma Wood State Beach, which was damaged by the winter of 1977-1978. The State of California Parks and Recreation Department has constructed a rock revetment to protect the entrance road leading into Emn Wood State Beach. Inmediately downcoast from the south jetty at Port Hueneme, the U.S. Navy has constructed a massive rock seawall to protect its property from flooding. Also, at the Point Mugu Naval Air Station, a groin field and rock revetments have been constructed by the U.S. Navy to protect the military and recreational facilities. 27 PROBLEM AND NEEDS STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The County of Ventura has expressed its desire to support the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study of the causes@-and effects of the beach erosion that has plagued the Ventura County coastline over the years. At the initial public meeting, held on June 22, 1972, the public expressed its desires and interests. Of major concern was the damage from wave action that had occurred to the private beaches of Oxnard Shores and Seacliff Beach Colony. Concern was also expressed for the potential danger to other private sectors, Mussel Shoals and Faria Beach Colony and for the long-term outlook for the stability of the Ventura County coastline. It was stated that if land were washed away the County would lose the much needed tax money. The damage that has occurred is directly attributable to wave- induced erosion of the shoreline and the lack of protective beach or shore- line protective structures. One of the main causes of shoreline erosion is lack of sufficient rainfall on the south slope of the Santa Ynez Mountains between the cities of Carpinteria and Oxnard. The rainfall that does occur along the short streams of the south slopedrains out to the coast through Calleguas Creek and the Santa Clara and Ventura Rivers. When the runoff is sufficiently large, these stream contribute to the littoral stream which replenishes the beaches. Hovever, the rainfall over past decades has generally been insufficient to produce large enough runoffs to maintain the beaches. The shortage of beach sand is also attributed by many persons to the damming of 28 the rivers, to urbanization and to the removal by commercial sources of the sand and gravel from the riverbeds. In order to provide a more detailed description of needs and problems, the Ventura County coastline was divided into three major subregions, namely; north coast, central coast, and south coast. NORTH COAST SUBREGION The north coast subregion starts at Rincon Point (near the Santa Barbara County-Ventura County line) and extends southeasterly to the Ventura River. The Ventura River estuary provides a wildlife habitat for a larRe number of species. The sand dunes at the mouth of the river are a significant resource. Important species found in these areas are described in Appendix 1. The mouth of the Ventura River is particularly sensitive with regard to silting and ero- sion. Silting of rocky substrate areas and significant changes in the rates of sediment transport would be environmentally damaging. In this subregion, public beaches with camping activities consist of two small parks - Hobson and Faria Parks, and a larger one - Emma, Wood State Beach., There is an extreme shortage of beach camper facilities in this area. The beach at Mussel Shoals has the usual seasonal fluctuation of onshore accretion of sand in the summer and offshore erosion in the winter. The 197- 1978 winter storms caused an unusually high degree of erosion and threatened 29 NO, @A' -'Nome IM M Upcoast view of Mussel Shoals, Dec. 2, 1976 "-A @MCITNVIII' --@q@ffl@ '" O'a Dqwncoast view of Hobson Park, Mar. 15, 1978 30 VU Rs VNI"NU W "OV 2:@ V"Q Downcoast view of Faria Park, Mar. 15, 1978 WE- Downcoast view of Emma Wood State Beach, Mar. 15, 1978 31 five homes. Rock revetment. was placed to protect these homes at a cost\ to each homeowner of tCuout 4;4,000. The residents of Seacliff Beach Colony, a private residential area of about 40 homes, believed that the realignment of Highway 101 and the associated shoreline filling operation created their erosion problems. Negotiations between the homeowners and Caltrans resulted in the State constructing a massive rock revetment to protect the homes. Following major erosion in June 1974, Caltrans extended the seawall to include the adjacent parcel of private property and Hobson Park, The lack of beach sand can be observed in the above photographs. CENTRAL COAST SUBREGION The central coast subregion, discussed in the following paragraphs, begins with the 31st Agricultural District Association property, and proceeds downcoast to and includes Point Mugu Naval Air Station. There are several .significant wildlife habitats within the McGrath State Beach upcoast to the Ventura Marina area. The estuarine area at the mouth of the Santa Clara River -is particularly important, providing habitat for several species of fish and for such endangered avifauna as the light-footed clapper rail, the California least tern , the California brown pelican, and Belding's savannah sparrow. Construction could worsen erosion, affecting the grunion which sFawn at McGrath 5tate Beach, and cause silting in this ar4a. 32 Although a considerable amount of beach area does exist between the Ventura Marina and Ormond Beach, access from the freeways is poor. In the central area, many public beaches are not easily reached by the motoring public. In the Oxnard area, access to several beaches is especially difficult, and some are undeveloped. This situation puts extreme pressure on the more accessible beaches and causes crowded conditions through the beach season. Although there is no shortage of beach acreage for the entire Ventura County coastline, the availability of family-type sandy beaches in close proximity to urban areas and transportation arteries is limited. This subregion also offers some of the best surfing waters along the southern California coast. There is a tremendous need to preserve the exist- ing surfing sites due to rapidly increasing popularity of surfing. Ideas have also been expressed in official areas as to the need for a comprehensive surf- ing study that would result in the creation of more surfing areas. Surfing, due to its importance as a recreational activity, warrants a separate tributary area map (see Ann. 2. -o. 3). Oxnard Shores has been repeatedly attacked by waves, and some homes have been destroyed or severely damaged. Private citizens have attempted various shore protection devices to protect their homes, with varying degrees-of success. Local interests have placed rock revetment on the upcoast part of Oxnard Shores that is adjacent to Mandalay Road to protect against the high wave action. Homes landward from the road have suffered inconveniences from wave action overtopping the berm and carrying sand and debris into the streets 33 and yards. Three factors contributed to this problem: (a) at the time of the construction of these homes, the shoreline was probably at its most seaward position as a result of the 1938 floods; (b) protective dunes were removed; and (c) the houses were built on concrete slabs or on standard footings instead of on piles. The area was subsequently annexed by the City of Oxnard. The city now requires new construction to have higher floor elevations and to be built on piles. Since this time, damage to these homes have been minimal. Port Hueneme Beach has had a continual history of erosion, which is undoubtedly affected by Hueneme Canyon, a submarine canyon immediately upcoast. The U.S. Navy property, adjacent to the downcoast jetty of the harbor, has been revetted for protection from wave attack. The shoreline is generally stabilized by the biennial dredging operation of the Channel Islands Harbor sand trap; how- ever, there are major fluctuations of the shoreline because of the seasonal erosion and the winter storms. Ormond Beach, an undeveloped beach of 85 acres, owned by the City of Oxnard, has experienced an average erosion rate of about 3.5 feet per year along a 10,400 f1t strip including the Edison property over the past 45 years. The City of Oxnard plans to leave this area in its natural state. There are no major improvements constructed or any projects planned. The following photographs generally show the debris and denuded condition of the beaches in the central coast subregion immediately after the winter of 1977-1978 storms. -14 p@m NOW g -1H "KRA, M M pv WHO, 'i 0 bm Dow p-ni "18 1'@ N "N, 772111A 44mnl@@ oil Upcoast view of 31st Agricultural District Association, Mar. 15, 1978 ........ .. ........... ..........@ . ...... ......... ... ....... ... . . ...... .. ......... Upcoast view of Surfer's Point Park, Mar. 15, 1978 35 .... ...... . . .............. ........... . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . ... .'Z- 81 ...... ...... ... .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W 1, , " ,"' @, '? f, i@ 177 . . . . . . .. . . . w j ll@T Wll@, @zl'@ AA -g INN` Upcoast view of Surfer's Point from San Buenaventura State Beach, Mar. 15, 1978 ""I, MIA 1 g,7,g, - 254-1@, .. ......... M NQ1- W-6-@ Downcoast view of San Buenaventura State Beach from Surfer's Point, Mar. 15, 1978 36 "man -@z Z i wi Upcoast view of groin field at San Buenaventura State Beach, Mar. 15, 1978 11'111!@'�@m"@ W 4, ... ....... AWN, 11% z Downcoast view of groin no. 1, San Buenaventura State Beach, Mar. 15, 1978 37 Upcoast view of Mandalay Beach Park Mar. 15, 1978 P" "@" "I "a IMIIB Imp no", A;M 'M QvI Upcoast view of northern part of Oxnard Shores adjacent to Mandalay Road, Mar. 15, 1978 38 ..... ..... 1@1 I) U N, -@MT, ............. .................. .......... K "'I"IM, %Wll', wm KIM fto 02, ......... ........ @L V m@,, ril 2m P �1 @Ul, W WE pm "MMI, gm "@r Upcoast view of Oxnard Shores, Mar. 15, 1978 Wgh'! _46 a . ......... 6@4, "IT MIA', ............. ...... '@i,mNjg WW om @W 0 mm W 01 .. . .......... .. ....... MAE ...... .. ... 77, .. ......... 0111 U _g, Downcoast view of Oxnard Shores, Mar. 15, 1978 39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 'T q @@q, . . . . . . . . . . w 77= 77@ 77, 77 A@ Downcoast view of Silver Strand Beach Park Dec. 2, 1976 =N, 7- @ff@ 770,35,6? OW, M%@OW, RA --pla Rfiffll@ 10*0 MM W U NOIMU py'VO', @Sffi- Z Downcoast view of Port Hueneme Beach Mar. 15, 1978 40 SOUTH COAST SUBREGION The south coast subregion starts at Point Mugu (adjacent to Point Mugu Naval Air Station) and extends dovncoast to Sequit Point (near the Ventura County - LOB Angeles County line). County Line Beach area (see photos on next page) is a very important surfing area. This area, known to the surfing population as "Pete's Reef", was one of the first locations in Ventura County to be surfed. It is very important that surfing areas like County Line Beach have adequate parking and related facilities so that maximum recreational benefit is realized from these areas. County Line Beach, a private beach 1-1/2 miles upcoast of the Ventura County- Los Angeles County line, suffered erosion (8-10 feet vertically) from the high wave action in September 1972. Seven out of eighteen homes suffered minor to severe damage from the waves. Volunteers placed sandbags to form protection. Approximately 500 tons of rock revetment were placed during this emergency at the owner's expense. This area has a seasonal fluctuation of sand, with its maximum accretion occurring in late summer. About 900 feet of the 2,000 feet of private beach shows a progressing erosion,pattern. 41 eg j A,E Ala 77, A61 6, IT Upcoast view of County Line Beach, Sept. 7, 1972 uil!, "m OINSW OW T -'m i, @3,;- 11 ":8- 11@ 11 4-, N Downcoast view of County Line Beach looking toward Sequit Point, Dec. 2, 1976 42 IMPROVEMENTS DESI RED Local interests expressed hope that immediate plans could be developed to control beach erosion in those areas that had suffered erosion damage. The County desires that its beaches be preserved and that more coastal land be developed to satisfy the increasing demand of the public for shoreline recreation. The preservation and additional development of the Ventura County coastline would have many benefits because it would induce more visitors to enjoy the excellent climate and to take advantage of Ventura's many fishing, surfing, camping and ocean- viewing opportunities. Damage prevention or reduction and subsequent additional recreational improvements would attract more tourists, directly benefiting the economy. SOCIOECONOMIC CONCERNS Several socioeconomic problems and concerns have been voiced by beach property residents and by other beach users. A major concern is that continual erosion of the shoreline will lead to a degradation of beach recreational opportunities. There is concern that-without the construction of protective projects,. dam ges would occur to private property, as well as public property, and that private owners will receive no help from the Federal Government. 43 Concern also exists that shore protective structures and improved beaches may be installed without adequate public access, public transportation systems or parking facilities. There is a desire that vhatever improvements may be constructed, the environmental quality of the shoreline should be preserved or enhanced. There is an increase in the demand for developed and developable beach frontage in order to accommodate the growing population and its demand for beach recreational areas, especially in the urbanizing areas of Oxnard and Ventura. ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS The Ventura County coastline is an environmentally significant resource. (See app. 1.) The significant physi cal, biological, and cultural resources along the coastline include wetlands, lagoons, rocky shore, and sandy beaches; State-designated Areas of Special Biological Significance (ASBS), rookeries, kelp and surfgrass habitats, fisheries, and invertebrate resources; onshore and offshore archeological sites; and surfing beaches- that receive heavy recreational use. The major environmental concern is that any proposed construction activity should be carefully planned to avoid impacting these resources; if unavoidable impacts should occur, mitigation and compensation would be required. Site-specific studies vould have to be conducted at each proposed construction location. 44 The environmental discussions presented in Appendix 1 are preliminary in nature because specific data required to evaluate the effects of potential construction activities are lacking. Had construction been proposed, in-depth, site-specific studies such as oceanographic,,biological, traffic, and recreational use studies would have been required. To date, only archeological studies have been completed along the Ventura County coastline. (See App. 1.) DEMAND ANALYSIS By using the method of total demand analysis as incorporated into the Ventura County Recreational Element of 1975, and by applying the 200-day bathing season and EM 1120-2-108, there is an estimated current demand for 72.6 acres of total recreational beach for Ventura County and a projected demand of 184.7 acres by 2020. Allocating these total acres (421-5) in the entire project area in the same percentage asused in the subregional analysis, the north subregion has a Supply of 32.3 acres versus an eventual demand in 2020 for 30.6 acres; the central subregion.has a supply of 357.9 acres versus an eventual demand for 99.3 acres; and the south subregion has a supply of 31.3 acres versus an eventual demand for 54.8 acres. The south subregion shows a shortage in acreage by year 2020 of 23.5 acres, but the entire study area would have a surplus of 236.8 acres by 2020. This study shows that, by applying the above-mentioned demand analysis for Ventura County, there is no apparent shortage of coastal recreational beaches, except in the south region. This demand analysis is only for the recreational beach area and does not include the camping demand and facilities. 45 In analyzing the demand for recreational beaches for the entire Ventura coastline, it is recognized that there is not an overall shortage for day use activities. However, developed beaches near the urbanized area in the central coast area are heavily used. Improvements of some beaches (including beach erosion control measures), development of newly acquired or about to be acquired beaches, and improved parking and access to some beaches in the Oxnard area would tend to increase the attendance at these beaches and would relieve some of the pressure at the developed parks and beaches near the City of Ventura. Beach erosion control measures would also prevent continued erosion of private beach property, such as Oxnard Shores. Some usage of the Oxnard Shores area by other than the residents is taking place; however, it is mostly at low tides. In calculating average and peak day attendance and peak hour attendance, a 200-day bathing season was assumed, with 20 of these days not reflecting normal attendance because of inclement weather. Of the remaining 180 days, 30 days are considered as peak use days. The recreational demand for beach use is for Ventura and Los Angeles counties only, and are shown on the following table by subregion. 46 RECREATIONAL DEMAND FOR BEACH AREA, 1975-2020 VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA North coast subregion beaches (32.3 acres available)' Year Tributary population Peak demand Acres needed 1975 112,875 3386 5.8 1980 130,125 3903 6.7 1990 168,380 5051 8.7 2000 203,425 6102 10.5 2010 235,775 7073 12.2 2020 268,loo 8o43 13.9 Central coast subregion beaches (357.9 acres available), 1975 342,575 10,277 17.7 1980 416,225 lp,486 21.5 1990 54o,o6o 16,201 27.9 2000 656,225 19,686 33.9 2010 764,275 22,928 39.2 2020 872,500 26,175 45.1 South coast subregion beaches (31.3 acres available) 1975. 230,050 6,9ol 11.9 1980 252,150 7,564 13.0 1990 317,96o 9,538 16.4 2000 377,350 11,320 19.5 2010 419,450 12,883 22.2 2020 481,4oo 14,442 24.2 Total beach demand in Ventura County (421.5 acres available) .1975 685,500 20,564 35.4 1980 .798,500 23,953 41.2 1990 1,026,4oo 30,790 53.0 2000 1,237,000 37,108 63.9 2010 1,41g,500 42,884 73.9 2020 1,662,000 48,660 83.9 47 The need for additional beach camping facilities has been recognized by the California Department of Parks and Recreation Department, by Ventura and other coastal counties, and by the Los Angeles District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In most southern California coastline camping areas, several weeks advance reservation is needed to obtain a campsite during the camping season. Any campsites that might be developed would be used to capacity immediately because of the extremely high demand for camping in beach parks. PLAN FORMULATION Plan formulation involves looking at an array of possible solutions to the problems and selecting from that array those alternative plans which will meet the needs and desires of the public, which will be engineeringly feasible, economically viable and environmentally acceptable. From among those solutions which successfully meet this test, the local sponsor, after much public input. and scrutiny, endorses a plan that is implementable, in full consideration of the political and institutional restraints. In this study only the initial stages of the planning effort were completed, that is,. the identifying of problems, needs, and concerns. However, a preli- minary attempt was made at plan formulation by looking at all the'usually considered plans for shore protection and identifying those that would best meet the needs and desires of the public. This analysis is described in the section which follows. 48 ALTERNATIVES Several plans of protection could be implemented to remedy erosion problems. Those usually considered are: rock revetments, concrete sea walls, groin systems, sand fills, offshore breakwaters, nearshore breakwaters, protective vegetation,- sand bypassing at inlets, and no action. Each of these has use limitations based on the wa ve climate, physical character of the location, environmental, and esthetic consideration or other expressed needs or desires. Protective vegetation, sand bypassing, and no action were not seriously considered for the following reasons: In many cases due to the rocky character of the beach, plant- ing of the vegetation 7rould be physically infeasible and its effectiveness in combating erosion from persistent wave attacks is questionable; also sand bypass- ing is not applicable except where harbors or shoreline inlets are located. Sand bypassing is already being performed at the harbors in Ventura County (Ventura Marina and Channel Islands-Port Hueneme), and efforts are underway to find more efficient bypassing systems. No action would only result in continued erosion and property damage. Consequently, except in the case of Ormond Beach (see table), it is not an acceptable alternative. 49L NEEDS AND POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES (Continued) VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Most Likely Location Needs Alternatives Other Alternatives Considered Mandalay Beach Maintain existing recrea- Nourishment from down- No improvement needed as long as by- Park tional beach. coast littoral transport passing operation at Ventura Marina from feeder beach continues. (McGrath State Beach). Oxnard Shores Protection of public Rock revetment or groin Concrete seawall - See (1) above. facilities and property, system. Sand fill - See (4) above. private and public, from Offshore breakwaters - See (1) above. damaging erosion. Silver Strand Protection of public recrea- Occasional sand fill No other alternative seriously con- Beach Park tional beach, private homes from dredging of sand sidered since beach @s stable with and public facilities (back- trap at Channel Islands occasional deposition of sand. Groin shore area). Harbors. This method is system, though expensive, would be a informally being used likely alternative if sand were not now. available from Channel Islands Harbor dredging. Port Hueneme Protection of recreational Sand fill (presently Rock revetment - would restrict use of Beach beach & public facilities. a feeder beach for sand recreational beach; also hazardous. from Channel Islands Concrete seawall - See (1) above; also Harbor dredging). would restrict recreational use of of beach. Groin system - See (1) and (2) above. Ormond Beach Preserve natural state for No action. No other alternatives considered since wildlife. no improvements, public or private, exist and there is a strong desire to preserve this wilderness area. NEEDS AND POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Most Likely Location Needs Alternatives Other Alternatives Considered Hobson Park Provide protection for Rock revetment with Concrete seawall - relatively very camping sites, preservation access to beach. costly(l) of tide pools. Groin system - unesthetic(2) and would cover tide pools(3) Sand fill - would cover tide Pools(3) - would incur high maintenance costs(4) Faria Park Do. Do. Do. Emma Wood State Beach Do. Do. Do. 31st Agric. Dist. Provide protection for Rock revetment. Concrete seawall See (1) above. Assaciation parking area for sight-seers Groin system - See (1) and (2) above. and surfers. Maintain surfing Sand fill - See (4) above conditions. Offshore breakwaters - See (1) above. Surfer's Point Do. Do. Do. Park San Buenaventura Maintain existing recrea- Sand fill (periodic No other alternative considered since State Beach, tional beach. dredging of sand trap beach is fairly stable with occasional at Ventura Marina). deposition of sand from Ventura Marina, an existing maintenance project. McGrath State Do. Sand fill (existing No other alternative considered since Beach feeder beach). beach is stable with biennial deposi- tion of sand from Ventura Marina dredging. NEEDS AND POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES (Continued) VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Most Likely Location Needs Alternatives Other Alternatives Considered Sycamore Beach Preservation of recrea- Groin system. Rock revetment would restrict use.of tional beach and protection recreational beach; also hazardous. of public facilities in back- Concrete seawall - See (1) above shore area. Sand fill - See (4) above. Offshore breakwaters - See (1) above. County Line Beach Maintain private recrea- Rock revetment. Concrete seawall - See (1) above. tional beach and improve- Groin system - See (1) and (2) above. ments as well as public Sand fill - See (4) above. facilities in backshore area. Offshore breakwaters See (1) above. IMPACT ASSESSMENT Preliminary social and environmental impacts were considered for those alternative measures which may be suitable in one location or another along the Ventura County shoreline. The social impacts are discussed and displayed in the following table in Appendix 1. 53 SHORE PROTECTION MEASURES AND THEIR IMPACTS* VENTURA COUNTY, CALIPORNIA Shore Protection Impacts Measures Beneficial Adverse Rock Reduce the erosion process by backstopping Esthetically unpleasant appearance. revetment and gathering transient sand. Minimize interruption of the littoral transport Inhibit surfing. system. Potential safety hazard. Liziti?d:new substrate, limited new biological commuhity. Loss of biological community, destruction of organisms, loss of habitat and Provide recreational fishing platform. productivity, turbidity effects, behavioral modifications, stirring of toxic elements. Concrete Esthetically pleasing appearance. Disruption of existing landscape seawall Provide a backdrop for sand collection on Inhibit surfing. ,the shoreline. Minimize interruption of the littoral transport system. Potential safety hazard. Reflect wave enerp,7 seaward, thus Loss of biological community, destruction contributing to the beach replenishment of orqanisms, loss of habitat and and buildup process. productivity, turbidity effects, behavioral modifications, stirring, of Limited new substrate, limited new toxic elements. biological community. 0 SHORE PROTECTION MEASURES AND THEIR IMPACTS* - (Continued) VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Shore Protection Impacts. Measures Beneficial Adverse Groin system Provide protection to the backshore by means Potential safety hazard. of a seaward extension of the high water line. Esthetically unpleasant appearance. Provide recreational fishing platform. Loss of biological community, destruction of organisms, loss of habitat and Limited new substrate, limited new productivity, turbidity effects, biological community. behavioral modifications, stirring of toxic elements. Sand fill Temporarily provide for maintaining beach Intermittent interruption of beach use. recreation by dissipating the energy generated from wave action. No interruption Not provide a permanent solution to the of the littoral transportation system. beach erosion problem. Preservation of beach for surfing, swimming, Destruction of organisms,-stirring or organisms. release of toxic elements, turbidity effects. Breakwater Protection from heavy wave action. Esthetically unpleasant appearance. Provide limited shelter for small craft May need beach fill to prevent erosion during foul weather. of downcoast beaches. Provide for additional recreational benefits in areas of fishing, diving, and swimming. SHORE PROTECTION MEASURES AND THEIR IMPACTS* (Continued) VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Shore Protection Impacts -Measures Beneficial Adverse Submerged Maintain esthetic beach vista by non- Present a hazard to swimmers if built breakwater visibility of structure. too close to the shoreline. Limited new substrate, limited new May inhibit the littoral transport of biological community. beach sediments leading to erosion of downcoast beaches. Inhibit surfing. Potential hazard to small craft operators. ON Continual beach More closely approximate the natural Require a constant sand source. nourishment littoral drift. No interruption of the littoral trans-nort system. Long-term degradation of ambient noise levels, air quality, and visual esthetics. Preservation of beach for surfing, swimming, and organisms. Continuous ,ietting of the discharge areas; discharge line would impede traffic on the beach. *All of the shore nrotection measures listed in this table would have the following beneficial impacts: Protection of nublic and private property; increase in recreational opportunities; temporary economic growth during construction activities; increased economic growth associated with increased recreational uses. All of the shore protection measures listed in the tables would temporarily degrade or impact existing ambient noise levels; air quality; water quality; recreation; traffic; parking; and esthetics during construction activities. All of the measures may be growth inducing due to the increased recreational uses. All structural measures would possible destroy archeological-cultural resources. All structures except sand fill could adversely impact on magnetic surveys and mask anomalies that indicate submerged resources. EVALUATION OF ALTMINATIVES None of the alternatives considered were found to be economically feasible. However, studies show that rock revetment is the most favored alternative, the major reason being that it is generally the least expensive of the structural measures. It can also be observed that in those locations where protect ion and preservation of a recreational beach is a Daramount need, sandfill is the preferred alternative. ECONOMIC ANALYSIS Economic studies assumed conditions without any beach erosion control measures. Even with beach erosion control measures installed at the eroding spots, there would not be any significant increase in the near future growth of population, dwellings, and industrial or commercial enterprises. More detailed information on base studies are available in the Los Angeles District Corps of Engineers' office. Based on the erosion rates tabulated in Appendix 4, benefits to the extent of preventable damages and/or recreational benefits were estimated for the various locations and are displayed in the table on the following page. Since rock revetment is generally the least expensive of the structural measures, construction costs were estimated for rock revetment on the basis that if the benefits did not exceed the costs for the least expensive, alternative, then there is no need to look further at other alternatives. 57 In order to compute the acreage lost and to reasonably estimate the future losses, the average annual rates of erosion and the length of the beach areas affected, were determined. In formulating plans, damages; or losses prevented are taken as benefits. These benefits are used in deter- mining benefit-to-cost ratios. For the public beaches only, values used were $6.50 per camper day and $1.50 per beach user day (75 square feet of beach allowed per person). Using projected beach attendance figures over a 50 year period using the above-mentioned values, the losses were converted to an average annual equivalent loss at 6-5/8 percent. For the Drivate property (Oxnard Shores and County Line Beach) and the 31st Agricultural District Association, current market values of the properties being eroded were determined by making a market comparison. After estimating the amount of land that may be lost, assuming the same erosion rate over 50 Years, the value of the lost property was converted to an average annual equivalent loss at 6-5/8 percent. The following paragraphs briefly describe the nature and amount of the losses at each site over a 50 year period: Faria Park: If the erosion continues at the same rate, about one-half of the campsites would be lost. Using $6.50 per camper day, the average annual equivalent loss amounts to $9,000. 58 Emma Wood State Beach: After 25 years about one-half of the campsites or one row would be lost. Using $6.50 per camper day, and $1.50 per beach user day, the average annual equivalent loss over the 50 year period amounts to $8,000. 31st Agricultural District Association: Other than the surfing offshore, the property is not used for recreation. Based on-the current market value'l the average annual equivalent loss is $8,000. Mandalay Beach Park: Over a 50 year period, about 5 acres may be lost to day time beach users. The average annual equivalent loss amounts to $1,130. Oxnard Shores (private): If the same rate of erosion continues for 25 years,, one row of homes would be lost. Over a 50 year period, the average annual equivalent loss amounts to $36,ooo. Sycamore Beach (Pt. Mugu State Beach): The.beach is heavily used by fishermen and other day visitors. Using $1.50 uer beach user day the average annual equivalent loss is $475. County Line Beach (private): If the erosion continues at the same rate, one row of homes would be lost. The average annual equivalent loss amounts to $24,ooo. 59 The following table shows that in each case the costs for revetment did exceed the benefits resulting in benefit-to-cost (B/C) ratios of less than unity which precludes Federal nartici-nation in the construction costs of any beach erosion control improvements in Ventura County. It is also obvious that the two areas where the benefit-to-cost ratios are close enough to unity to warrant more refined estimates, namely Oxnard Shores and County Line Beach, are private beaches precluding Federal participation in the construction costs of any improvements. 6o BENEFITS-COSTS ANALYSIS VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA AVG. ANNUAL AVG. ANNUAL B/C NAME LEIQTI@ BENEFIT COST RATIO ft. Faria Park 900 9,000. 24,850 0.36 Emma Wood State Beach Park 18@4oo 8,ooo 192,000 m4 31st Agricultural District Association 1,8oo 8,ooo 13,800 0.58 *Surfer's Point *McGrath State Beach Mandalay Beach Park 4,500 1,130 74,6oo 0.02 Oxnard Shores (private) 5,000 36,ooo 39,000 0.92 *Silver Strand Beach Park � Hollywood Beach Park � Port Hueneme Beach *Ormond Beach Sycamore Beach (Pt. Mugu State Park) 1,6oo 475 44,200 0.01 County Line Beach (private) 1,800 24,ooo 25,000 o.96 Benefits and costs were not estimated, because erosion rates were minimal and consequently benefits were negligible. 61 CONCLUSIONS After analysis of the topographic, hydrographic, photographic, economic and other coastal data presently available, the following conclusions were made. a. Because of the available supply of recreational beaches (camping excluded) and because of slowing population growth in the tributary area, there is no demand for additional beach area county-wide in the foreseeable future. b. Except for the private beach areas of Oxnard Shores and County Line Beach, vhere severe erosion has occurred, beach erosion control projects are economically infeasible for the present and the foreseeable future. C. Since there is at present no authorization permitting Federal participation in the private beach areas of Oxnard Shores and County Line Beach, and these are the only areas where projects may be economically feasible, Federal particiDation in the cost of construction.of beach erosion control projects in Ventura is precluded. 62 d. That the Corps of Engineers should consider giving to the local interests, in accordance with section 55 of Public Law 93-251, if they choose to develop on their own initiative, solutions to the beach erosion T)roblems in Ventura County. RECOIffAENDATIONS Since there are insufficient benefits to justify Federal Shore Protection projects in Ventura County, the District Engineer recommends that no structural beach control measures be undertaken at this time in Ventura County. 63 Rincoo Santa Barbara County Line Rincan Creek A.. Rincon Mountain Point Punta Gorda A I NEVADA UTAH Mussel Onto, Shoals Oil Wells Seacliff Beach Colony ro Hobson Park CALIFORNIA\ Pitas Point Faria Beach Park ARIZ Faria Park Los Angeles [email protected] I Solimar Beach Colony VENTURA COUNTY MEXIC09- Emma Wood State Beach VENTURA' VICINITY MAP area covered by map 31st. Agric. District Assoc C 0 U N T Surf r' s Point Y Pi:rpont Bay San Buenaventura State Beach -N- Ventura Marina Sq clal-a McGrath State Beach re*, CAMARILLO Mandalay Beach Park HILLS r Oxnard Shores Hollywood Beach Park -JOXNARD Channel Islands Harbor Naval Construction Battalion Center Silver Strand Beach Park C, Port Hueneme PORT HUENEME 165 Port Hueneme Beach 0011@ C5 . Ormond Beach Pt. Mugu Naval Air Station C) Mugu Lagoon cow Laguna Point Point Mugu Pt. Mugu State Beach Clark's Peak G) Sycamore Beach (State) n> County Line Beach Sequit Point VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA SURVEY REPORT FOR BEACH EROSION CONTROL VENTURA COUNTY COASTLINE 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 U.S. Army Engineer District, Los Angeles SCALE 1-4 P-----4 MILES Corps of Engineers December 1978 Plate I U.S. ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT C; Z SEAC IFF FARIA &'Y BEACH BEA COLONY COLO MUSSE S=HOALS HOBSON PARK FARIA PARK CA p CA.P(2 SMALL PARCELS) p p lVcl p 11,600 1,900 gfou- 2,000 8,500 1'0 12,100 __7 7- A , -------- Y_' BUENAVENTURA STATE BEAC VENTURA SANTA MARINA CLARA MCGRATH STATE BEACH RI- SURFER'S HOLLYW LLI POINT MANDALAY 5 BEACH PARK ENTUR RIVER S6 p VC p S13 CA 8,800 CA 19,800 .600 2,700 CA S8 AG 11,700 DO ,30 1,000 Vn, POINT MUGU STATE BEACH 01 SYCAMORE B 4 S -TATION CA pVAL MUGU 19,100 G POINT 9 0 OWNERSHIP LEGEND PROPERTY P PRIVATE CA STATE OF CALIFORNIA VC VENTURA COUNTY ss C TY OF SAN BUENAVENTURA AG 311 AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT s us UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Cl CHANNEL ISLANDS HARBOR DISTRICT Ox CITY OF OXNARD PH CITY OF PORT HUENEME DATE DUE GAYLORD No. 2333 PRINTED IN U,SA 3 6 68 1410711