Mother Nature greeted us with some heavy storm activity in early-January and created some challenges around the Channel Islands Harbor. Dozens of private marina slips were damaged, the wind pounded our landscape and ripped through signage, and, to our north, the Santa Clara River “flushed” out debris that eventually floated downcoast, collected on our beaches, and forced our dredging operations to temporarily halt.

In response, the Ventura County Harbor Department’s maintenance staff has been hard at work cleaning up the Harbor and neighboring beaches. Harbor Patrol staff were first in response and assisted with helping the marinas relocate boats that were displaced by the storms. Private marina construction crews are pulling damaged slips out of the water. Dredging operations have resumed.

The cleanup from January’s storms have carried into February, but I’m seeing quite a bit of action each day from a recovery perspective. I would like to thank my staff and private marina owners who are working hard each day to get the Harbor and beaches back to normal.

Fireworks by the Sea

Speaking of getting back to normal, I’m pleased to announce that the Harbor Department is moving forward with bringing back the Fireworks by the Sea to the Channel Islands Harbor this July 4^th. In speaking with the community and local businesses, I appreciate what the only seaside fireworks show in Ventura County means to everyone. Not having the fireworks show the past few years has impacted our local businesses and deprived our residents and visitors of a cherished tradition. I’m confident this year’s fireworks celebration will be a huge success.

Casa Sirena Property Update

An important infrastructure project on the Harbor’s peninsula is underway that will open the door for a waterfront hotel construction project.

The Board of Supervisors approved a $2.3 million project with Long Beach-based Larison Corporation in October 2022 to repair and replace 1,540 linear feet of revetment around the Harbor peninsula. The project includes removal of existing rock, improving the revetment’s slope, installation of filter cloth to assist in stabilizing of the slope, and placement of new rock over the reshaped and covered slope.

Since the contract was awarded, Larison has cleared the parcel of debris and removed additional landscape in the project area. Last week, trucks hauled in approximately 1,500 tons of the 6,000 tons of rocks needed to complete the project. They will continue to haul in the remainder of the rock this week.

The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of Spring 2023, weather permitting. Once the project is complete, construction can begin on the planned 210-room Hyatt House Hotel and adjacent restaurant. Great things are happening!

Sincerely,

Michael Tripp, Director
Ventura County Harbor Department

Editor’s Note: this story was published on Feb. 1, 2023.