Ventura River
Encyclopedia
The Ventura River is a river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 in Ventura County, California
Ventura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...

. The river forms at the confluence of Matilija Creek
Matilija Creek
Matilija Creek is a major stream in Ventura County in the U.S. state of California. It joins with North Fork Matilija Creek to form the Ventura River. Many tributaries feed the mostly free flowing, creek, which is largely contained in the Matilija Wilderness. It then forms the reservoir behind...

 and North Fork Matilija Creek, 16.5 miles (26.6 km) upstream from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

. San Antonio Creek
San Antonio Creek
San Antonio Creek may refer to:* San Antonio Creek , a tributary of the Petaluma River* San Antonio Creek , in Santa Barbara County, California* Estero de San Antonio, a stream flowing into Bodega Bay...

 joins the river halfway to the ocean and Coyote Creek
Coyote Creek (Ventura County)
Coyote Creek is a stream in Ventura County, California, United States which feeds Lake Casitas. It is a major tributary of the Ventura River....

 does the same a couple of miles downstream.

Ecology

Genetic analysis of the steelhead in the Ventura river watershed (both above and below Matilija Dam) has shown them to be of native and not hatchery stocks.

Dams

However, the flow from Coyote Creek has not been very large since the completion of Casitas Dam
Casitas Dam
Casitas Dam is an earthfill dam across Coyote Creek that forms Lake Casitas in the Los Padres National Forest of Ventura County, California near Ojai, California. The dam is located two miles above the junction of Coyote Creek and the Ventura River. Water from the Ventura River is diverted to Lake...

, which forms Lake Casitas
Lake Casitas
Lake Casitas is an artificial lake in the Los Padres National Forest of Ventura County, California, created by the construction of Casitas Dam on Coyote Creek, two miles before it joins the Ventura River. Santa Ana Creek and North Fork Coyote Creek also flow into the lake. The dam was constructed...

. The dam is about 2 miles upstream of the junction with the Ventura River. There is also a dam on Matilija Creek, Matilija Dam. Completed in 1948, it was built to store 5000 acre.ft of water, but sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....

has reduced its capacity by 90%. Many groups, including some governmental ones, are working towards the removal of the dam. On November 8, 2007, the 110th Congress overturned President Bush's veto of a bill delegating approximately $89.7M to the project. Finally, Robles Dam, which is 2 miles downstream from Matilija Dam, diverts water to Lake Casitas, further reducing the river's flow.
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