Ventura County Historical Ecology Study

Dates

2009 - 2011

This project investigated the historical ecological patterns and hydrological dynamics of most of lowland Ventura County. Synthesizing over two centuries of local documents, the project report and accompanying GIS layers provide a detailed, comprehensive, well-documented illustration of landscape conditions in the county prior to substantial Euro-American modification.

The geographic scope of the study includes the lower Santa Clara River valley (downstream of Interstate 5), the lower Ventura River valley (downstream of Matilija Dam and excluding the Ojai Valley), the Oxnard Plain (including Calleguas Creek), and the Ventura County shoreline (from the mouth of the Ventura River to Mugu Lagoon). The study focuses on the documentation of the character and distribution of riverine and wetland habitats in the County.

This study was designed to significantly improve our understanding of the underlying physical processes that have shaped - and in many cases, continue to shape - the local landscape. In doing so, it provides scientists, managers, and residents in Ventura County with information designed to support and inspire ongoing management and restoration activities in the region.

Of related interest is a study entitled Historical Mapping of Southern California Coastal Wetlands, which uses high-resolution, color scans of 25 U.S. Coast (and Geodetic) Survey Topographic Maps (“t-sheets”) to conduct preliminary analysis and interpretation of historical wetlands along the Southern California coast.