The wetlands that originally existed on the Ojai Meadows property have been degraded for nearly a century as a result of clearing of oak woodlands for cattle grazing in the early 1900's and subsequent filling with sediment from neighboring residential development.

What groundwork will the project involve?
Currently, weeds and non-native grasses are being "solarized" on the meadow so that native grasses can be planted in their place. Recommended by highly regarded, experienced and successful restoration ecologists, solarization techniques using large plastic tarps to trap the sun's heat are used to kill weeds thus avoiding the use of chemical herbicides near a water source.

In order to accomplish project goals, the existing drainage channel must be re-countoured with grading to correct the water flow that is currently causing the flooding. The required grading for the project requires removal of a number of eucalyptus trees along the creek that are within the grading footprint. The large grove of eucalyptus trees will be preserved with the exception of trees within the drainage channel swath. The first phase of the restoration project was the removal of several eucalyptus trees located along the bank of the drainage ditch to prepare for grading necessary to restore the marsh area and correct drainage flow. The removal was used by the Ventura County Fire Department (Wildland Fire Division) for a training program.

In addition to making the excavation of the freshwater marsh and stream courses possible, the removal of the eucalyptus within the water course will dramatically increase water levels and improve hydrologic balance in the wetland/marshland habitat. Eucalyptus trees are known to use 10 times the amount of water that their native counterparts will use. The newly available water will support the growth of thousands native plants and trees which will be planted as a part of the project and will result in the restoration of a once thriving wetlands.

The Conservancy has received all necessary regulatory approvals to conduct this work, including a tree permit from the City of Ojai. Detour signs and partial area closures will be posted along preserve trails during project operations to ensure public safety.

What is a non-native plant species, and how does it affect wetlands?
Just as Bermuda grass can quickly take over a garden, or Arundo can consume river banks, certain tree species can invade and crowd out native tree and plant communities. Today's grove of eucalyptus on the Ojai Meadows Preserve is the result of 31 different species of eucalyptus trees planted as an experiment by a Meiners Oaks Elementary school teacher in the 1960s in an effort to bring trees back to an entire grove of native Valley oaks and Coast Live oaks was removed earlier in the century for cattle grazing.

Since eucalyptus trees consume a vast amount of water, it is not surprising how quickly those 31 eucalyptus trees turned into over 400 in the wetland environment by soaking up most of the water, leaving very little for the possibility of native tree re-colonization. When this occurs, native habitat disappears quickly because it cannot defend against eucalyptus invasion or compete against their extreme thirst. Eucalyptus grows extremely fast (up to 40 feet in 3 years), crowding out native plants. Because they relatively free from the pests that kept them in check at home (Australia), they grow extremely well here. The Ojai Meadows Preserve is a perfect example of a former wetland/freshwater marsh that was ripe for eucalyptus invasion. The current eucalyptus grove is nearly identical to the historic location of the freshwater marsh shown in a 1929 aerial photograph.

For this reason, any future new growth of eucalyptus will be kept in check, to allow for the re-growth of native tree species.

What about the birds?
Exciting times are ahead as the restoration of the wetlands progresses. Already great egrets and a number of other bird species have returned to the property after long absences. A 50 year Ojai resident who remembers seeing Canadian geese on the meadow in the 50s when the meadows had open water looks forward to the possibility of their return. The removal of non-native eucalyptus trees and resulting restoration of native plant communities would enhance habitat for birds and wildlife, with benefits increasing over time as habitat complexity and quality increase.

Jesse Grantham, a nationally respected USFWS bird biologist, key member of the Audubon Society, Taormina community resident monitors a population of 60+ bird species that are using the meadow. The goal of this project is to create self-sustaining native habitats, which are much preferred by the majority of local species, but currently not prevalent in the meadow. Trees were surveyed just prior to removal and no nesting birds were found. Specific trees (including some eucalyptus) that are known to provide habitat and/or nesting sites for birds/raptors are being protected.

Do Wetland and Riparian Habitats foster mosquito populations? Proposals for wetland restoration often raise concerns in communities about the potential for creating breeding habitat for mosquitoes, and thus the potential spread of mosquito-borne diseases such as the West Nile virus. Indeed, mosquitoes can breed in small amounts of standing water, however, the difference between standing water in birdbaths, plastic containers, cans, discarded tires, bottle caps, pet dishes, rain barrels, irrigation ditches, road ditches, gutters, and septic systems, and the circulating water in natural wetlands, is the presence of mosquito-eating predators such as amphibians, bats, fish, insects, and birds. Wetlands are not ideal mosquito breeding sites because they are homes to hosts of mosquito-eating predacious diving beetles, backswimmers, water striders, dragonflies, damselflies, etc. In fact, of the forty species of mosquitoes that transmit the virus, the three species identified as the most common vectors are rarely found in healthy wetlands as they prefer artificial containers and nutrient-rich pools of standing water. For this reason, Culex pipiens, or the "house mosquito", accounts for approximately 70% of the positive West Nile virus cases because they cannot fly more than 1/4 mile (and rarely over 300 feet) from where they hatched. Healthy wetlands do not support these kinds of conditions and therefore, do not support the West Nile Virus The Ventura County Mosquito Abatement Program will be regularly monitoring the Ojai Meadows Preserve for mosquito populations.

Please feel free to call the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy with any questions. 805.649.OVLC (6852) or send an email to ovlc@ovlc.org

Older Ojai Meadows Restoration Photos
Click on the images below to view for full-size images