Final Inspection of Ferro Channel Completes the Beardsley Watershed Project

VENTURA, Calif. - Nov. 11, 2021 - PRLog -- The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conducted the final inspection for the construction of the Ferro Channel today as part of the on-going Beardsley Watershed project authorized through the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention (PL-566) program in 1963. The work was funded by an agreement between NRCS and the County of Ventura  and carried out  by Ventura County Public Works Agency's Watershed Protection. The program was worth approximately $3M for construction and $500,000 of technical assistance. With this project completion, it will signify the last remaining structure identified in the watershed workplan. Greg Norris, State Conservation Engineer,  performed the final inspection and certified that the project is complete.

"Almost 60 years of this amazing partnership supports the Beardsley watershed and I am pleased to see the tremendous amount of work that was completed to benefit agriculture and rural communities," NRCS State Conservationist Carlos Suarez said.

Ventura County Public Works Agency's Watershed Protection environmental planners and engineers worked closely and expeditiously with the NRCS,  Federal, State, and local agencies to ensure that the design of this capstone project was technically sound, environmentally compliant, and had the approval of the property owners.

"It's been such a long drought, its hard to remember that Ventura County can flood in a serious way.  A large flood in 1962 caused severe damage to many rural areas near key watersheds, Beardsley and Revolon; said Glenn Shephard Director of Watershed Protection with the Ventura County Public Works Agency. With this Ferro Channel project, we have completed 30 watershed construction projects in key areas to ensure flood protection, and water conservation going forward."

The 1962 flood, left about 4,000 acres of cropland inundated in the Beardsley and Revolon watersheds which cover approximately 60 square miles from Mugu Lagoon, across the Oxnard Plain, to Somis.

30 projects were constructed over the years to complete this Beardsley Watershed Workplan. Examples of completed construction includes the Nyeland Drain in 1984, the Beardsley Drop Structure in 1989, the Wright Road Drain in 1997, the Las Posas Estates Drain in 2000, and the Los Angeles Ave. Drain in 2005.

The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program helps units of federal, state, local and tribal of government protect and restore watersheds up to 250,000 acres. This program provides for cooperation between the Federal government and the states and their political subdivisions to work together to prevent erosion; floodwater and sediment damage; to further the conservation development, use and disposal of water; and to further the conservation and proper use of land in authorized watersheds. Funding supports erosion/sediment control, watershed protection, flood prevention, water quality improvements, water management, fish and wildlife enhancement, and hydropower sources.