VENTURA : Plant Replacement for Estuary Habitat OKd

A city plan to replace non-native plants with native vegetation at the Ventura River estuary does not require an extensive environmental review, Ventura city staff said in a report to the City Council.

If the council approves the report Monday, the city could begin digging up invasive plants such as the giant Kikuyu grass and castor bean as early as August, replacing them with shrubs native to the riverbanks.

The plants need to be replaced because the animals living along the river feed on the native plants and will have little left to eat if that greenery is choked out by exotic flora.

The project to upgrade the estuary is being run by the city of Ventura, the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the California Coastal Conservancy.

Replacement of vegetation is the first phase of a three-part project to restore the area. In the second phase, the agencies would remove undomesticated cats and other large animals, in addition to building a wooden trail to protect sand dunes. A visitors’ center and amphitheater are also planned for this phase.

The third phase would concentrate on restoring the second mouth of the river, and trails would be linked between the estuary and the second mouth.

The plan for the first phase, as outlined by the city staff report, calls for workers to begin removing the non-native plants around Aug. 1 to avoid disturbing any breeding birds in the area.

Native vegetation will be planted no later than Jan. 1, again to avoid disturbing the birds that nest at the estuary.

An archeologist and a local Native American knowledgeable about prehistoric and historic artifacts will be brought in to help supervise the digging, in case anything of historical value is discovered.