Courtesy photos.
VENTURA — Ventura Land Trust (VLT) nature preserves sustained significant damage in the recent storms that dropped 15 inches of rain areas of Ventura County. Harmon Canyon Preserve, Big Rock Preserve, and Willoughby Preserve are closed to the public due to structural blows to trails and roads.
“At Harmon Canyon Preserve, we are dealing with deep mud, sinkholes, unstable slopes, and loose rocks,” says Preserve Director Dan Hulst. “Repairs are underway, but it may be as long as two months before the preserve partially opens and public access is restored. The message we need to get out to the public is that this closure is necessary for their safety. Even when it’s dry and sunny outside, we need people to remember that preserves are still closed.”
Repairs of Harmon Canyon Preserve will take place in phases. Crews will first restore roads so that trucks carrying tools can safely navigate the preserve. Work will then begin to stabilize trails, beginning in the lower canyon and advancing to the upper canyon of the 2,123-acre preserve.
Much of the damage to roads at Harmon Canyon Preserve was caused by moving water. “Storms like the ones we saw a few weeks ago are natural parts of our weather cycle,” says Hulst. “We are looking at the way water moves on the preserve roads and making improvements to lessen negative impacts.”
Incorporating features such as grade reversals, which slow moving water, and drains into repairs will minimize the effects of future heavy rains on roads and trails.
VLT owns two preserves along the Ventura River. Big Rock Preserve, near Foster Park, was inundated by flood waters. Roughly half of the vegetation along the length of the 16-acre preserve was washed away. Willoughby Preserve near the coastal estuary was littered with debris and trash.
VLT Executive Director Melissa Baffa says that although the changes to the landscape and damage to public access infrastructure are jarring, the community has been understanding of the preserve closures. “It is heartening to see how much places like Harmon Canyon Preserve and Big Rock Preserve mean to people, as well as the community’s eagerness to be part of the recovery process. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for VLT, and we are sincerely grateful for every donation and every volunteer. We welcome the support.”
VLT is recruiting community volunteers to assist with debris and trash clean-up at Big Rock Preserve and Willoughby Preserve on February 4th and February 11th. As many as 100 volunteers are sought for a large-scale clean up at Willoughby Preserve on February 11th. More information can be found at www.venturalandtrust.org/events
About Ventura Land Trust — The mission of Ventura Land Trust is to permanently protect the land, water, wildlife and scenic beauty of the Ventura region for current and future generations. Founded in 2003, VLT manages its lands in perpetuity with scientific integrity, and balances open space protection with public access.
Three nature preserves permanently designated for conservation, Harmon Canyon Preserve, Big Rock Preserve, and Willoughby Preserve, are open daily to the public for free for hiking, biking, and exploring nature. Ventura Land Trust hosts public guided hikes, field-based educational excursions, and volunteer and community events to foster a connection to the natural world in individuals of all ages. Nature exploration program Ventura Wild reaches the next generation of land stewards, offering hands-on environmental education, restoration, and stewardship experiences in local wild places.