MOORPARK : Arroyo Simi Channel Restoration Begins

Kicking off a seven-month effort to restore part of the Arroyo Simi flood channel, the Environmental Coalition will hold an organizational meeting at 7 p.m. Monday in the Moorpark City Council chambers.

A $64,000 state grant will cover the cost of restoring five acres of riparian habitat and drafting a management plan for the six-mile stretch of the Arroyo Simi that runs through the city of Moorpark.

“The preservation of wetlands and urban streams is very important,” Moorpark Mayor Paul Lawrason said. “The arroyo is full of wildlife, birds and growing things--it’s important to keep all that going.”

At Monday’s meeting, Environmental Coalition leaders will seek input on a management plan, which could include establishing a bike trail and greenbelt along the channel in the east end of the city, said Janet Murphy, president of the group’s Moorpark branch.

The private coalition will also encourage volunteers to join the riparian restoration team. Working with city staff and outside consultants, the volunteers will remove non-native vegetation along the arroyo’s banks on Oct. 9, 16 and 23 and plant indigenous species during the winter and spring.

Volunteers must attend several hours of training before getting down to the dirty work. “This is not just a weeding session,” said Neil Moyer, the Environmental Coalition’s Ventura County president. “We want to be sure we do it right.”

The Moorpark Unified School District may send students to join the team--and learn about biology, wetlands and migratory birds in the process, according to Assistant Supt. Frank DePasquale.

“It sounds like a great opportunity to increase our students’ sensitivity to the environment,” he said.