MOORPARK : Grant Sought to Improve Arroyo

The city of Moorpark and the Moorpark branch of the Environmental Coalition have applied for a state grant that would be used to improve a six-mile stretch of the Arroyo Simi--the major flood-control channel through the city.

The city and coalition expect to hear by May whether their request for $84,000 is awarded, said Janet Murphy, president of the Environmental Coalition’s Moorpark branch.

“Basically, we’re concerned with wildlife habitats, not just in this area but all over Ventura County,” Murphy said. “We felt that getting grant money of this kind would help us to restore the Arroyo Simi to the condition it used to be. There’s been a lot of disruption of the area.”

The grant, available through the California Department of Water Resources’ Urban Streams Restoration Program, is available only to programs that are co-sponsored by a local public agency and a non-governmental or private citizens group.

The primary focus of the Moorpark work would be to return the channel to a more natural state and prepare a long-term management plan to protect the sensitive wetland area, Murphy said.

Non-native vegetation would be removed and native vegetation would be planted along the exposed banks of the arroyo to help reduce the potential for erosion.

The area selected by the city and the coalition is a wildlife corridor for migrating birds, among them the least Bell’s vireo, a bird on federal and state endangered species lists.

“I thought it was great,” Murphy said of the city’s willingness to apply for the grant with the coalition. “This kind of project already has the potential to be successful, just because of the cooperation between the city and a private organization. It’s just great.”