Creek Is Dangerous, Not ‘Endangered’

Sespe Creek should not be on anyone’s most endangered list (“Sespe Creek Listed As One of the Country’s Threatened Rivers,” April 18). The American Rivers group admits its endangered designation has nothing to do with any change in the Sespe or its environment.

The label went on because more than a few of the knowledgeable local citizenry here don’t want to give up the local option to build reservoirs. American Rivers wants to protect all 55 miles, even though it’s generally a dust bowl at one end with the creek running underground--when it runs. They say “endangered” because a lot of us locally are asking some of the hard, responsible questions and offering workable compromises to preserve the best of the Sespe forever.

Locals, with better memories, list Sespe Creek on their “most endangering list.” Every 35 years or so, Sespe Creek visits us with a catastrophic flood. In 1969, that creek flow wiped out the Olivas Adobe Golf Course, the Ventura Marina and two bridges on the Santa Clara River, and killed 11 people.

With 40% more growth since then, reservoirs could be built on the extreme ends of Sespe Creek for less than the next flood will cost us in lives and local devastation. We would have fish ladders all the way and the Sespe could have natural year-round flow.

We could offset some of the extremely serious damage to nature as we just had from this past intense drought when most of the Sespe all but dried up. A vacation area reservoir at each end of Sespe Creek would temper more than a few of Sespe Creek’s hellacious tantrums.

Along with Sespe Creek, I’m adding the American Rivers group to Ventura County’s “most endangering list.”

CHUCK BENNETT

Ojai