Matilija Dam Trip

Meet our Green Valley Project Youth Council for Fall 2022! Last Sunday, the team toured Matilija Dam with the CREW Executive Director, Derek Poultney. They learned about how the dam has caused a negative environmental impact on the Ojai Valley Watershed, by blocking access for steelhead to their spawning locations located above the dam. When looking at the Dam from a higher elevation, we noticed that the sediment filled reservoir was covered in invasive species including mustard, arundo, and tamarisk to name a few. The dam is rendered useless for water storage and flood control due to the sediment build up. It also blocks the natural sediment flow that feeds beaches in Ventura. The Dam has directly caused coastal erosion and the endangerment of the Southern California Steelhead trout.The Youth Council team will be working to remove invasive species in our watershed and will by writing a plea to local and national government to remove the dam.