> VENTURA RIVER-CONFLUENCE PRESERVE MAP  [188 Kb Jpeg]

> VENTURA RIVER-CONFLUENCE PRESERVE MAP [ 294 Kb ]

The Ventura River-Confluence Preserve was established in April 2004. Named for the merging of the Ojai Valley's two major year-round streams, it is a thirty-acre parcel that the conservation-minded owners have worked to protect in partnership with the Land Conservancy and the State Coastal Conservancy. The Land Conservancy owns 14-acres and holds a conservation easement on the remaining 16-acres of the Preserve.  

Old Growth Cottonwood and Sycamores tower over lush under-growth providing the best remaining example of these vanishing Ventura River forests. The River and San Antonio Creek come together in a deep willow forest just a few hundred yards from where thousands of commuters rush by every day. The rich riparian habitat is home to a wide variety of wildlife including several endangered animal species.  

This open space bounds both sides of Highway 33 just south of the San Antonio Creek Bridge at the base of the Arnaz Grade near Oak View. Bicyclists and equestrians will recognize the parcel because the Ojai Valley Bike and Bridle Path passes through the center of the Preserve. The conservation effort was funded through a grant from the Coastal Conservancy and Proposition 50 Bond Funds. The Walleviks have also made a $10,000 contribution toward the long-term stewardship of the Preserve. Lands within the river bottom will be open for special tours only and are still owned by the Walleviks, while the land lying between the Ojai Valley Bicycle Path and Highway 33 will be open for public use. The Land Conservancy plans to work with the Walleviks to enhance and restore habitat throughout the Preserve.

Open space advocates and conservationists are optimistic this effort will become the cornerstone of a larger strategy to work with landowners to safeguard more than three miles of the middle reach of the Ventura River and lower San Antonio Creek. Long term, the Land Conservancy plans to link this half mile of riparian habitat with the Rancho El Nido Unit of the Preserve, four miles to the north.