Monitors Cite Levee Repair Violations

Environmentalists monitoring repairs to a levee along the north side of the Ventura River have complained that contractors violated terms of permits designed to protect fish and wildlife there.

Mark Capelli, executive director of Friends of the Ventura River, said Tuesday that workers under contract to the county Flood Control Department repairing a 500-foot section of the rock-wall levee near Casitas Springs failed to comply with at least four provisions of the work permit.

Specifically, Capelli alleges that contractors:

* Failed to remove all of the fish from the section of river before beginning work on the levee.

* Wrongly discharged some waste into the river during repairs.

* Wrongly used concrete grout on two five-foot sections of the levee against permit orders.

* Wrongly removed trees, brush and shrubs from half an acre of land near the river to make room for a work area.

“It’s unfortunate that the project has run into problems,” Capelli said in a statement.

“The levee repair is needed . . . [but] the flood control district must take extra precautions to avoid unnecessary impacts to fish and wildlife resources.”

Alex Sheydayi, deputy director of the Ventura County Public Works Department, said some mistakes were made during the repairs, but that the contractor, Mosler & Co., did a satisfactory job.

Sheydayi said only a few of the thousands of fish were not removed from the river before repair work started on the levee. He acknowledged that the contractor discharged waste material into the river but said damage was minimal. Sheydayi also said the grouting was needed to fortify the levee, and that the work area was made on private property.

Part of the levee crumbled during the floods last winter. Contractor Larry Mosler, who is to be paid more than $100,000 for the repairs, said he complied with every condition imposed by county officials.