VENTURA — The City of Ventura supplies water to its residents from three main sources: the Ventura River, Lake Casitas, and three groundwater sources.
In the early 1900s, an underground dam was built across the Ventura River in Foster Park to supply water to the growing city of Ventura. However, construction of the dam was halted about 300 feet short of the design due to the increasing depth of bedrock and rising inflow of groundwater.
A study conducted in 1996 found that approximately 485 acre-feet of groundwater escapes from around the end of the unfinished dam during the driest years and could be recovered by completing the dam.
The consultant who prepared the Water Rate Study in 2021 allocated all available water from the Ventura River to the residential water rate. Water from the Ventura River is the least expensive and of the highest quality among the city’s water sources.
Completing the underground dam in Foster Park would add surface flow to the river, provide high-quality, low-cost water to the city’s supply, lower residential water rates, and improve fish habitats.
The 2024-2025 Civil Grand Jury recommends completing the underground dam across the Ventura River in Foster Park, if feasible.
To read the entire report, please go to https://www.ventura.org/grand-jury/fiscal-year-2024-2025/
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury is a panel of 19 local citizens established to investigate public complaints about county, city or special districts management, practices and processes. More information about the Civil Grand Jury can be found at: https://www.ventura.org/grand-jury/