The work at Emma Wood State Beach embodies the mission of the Department of Parks and Recreation by maintaining and protecting our natural resources not just for the sake of the species in the park, but for park visitors as well. Improving facilities and the health and biodiversity of this estuary will create a beautiful park for recreation, and Parks staff are excited for our future guests to enjoy the new and improved Emma Wood State Beach.

To see updates on our progress and to learn more about the native and non-native species that live within Emma Wood State Beach, follow us on our Instagram page and Facebook!

 

Problem Statement

  • The Ventura River Flood Plain is a critically sensitive estuary, wetland, and crucial migratory habitat. Conservation of this floodplain is vital to the health of our locality and the ocean as well.
  • High fuel-loads comprised largely of invasive species at Emma Wood State Beach threaten local communities with potential wildfire, as well as directly impacting the health and biodiversity of the Ventura River estuaries.
  • Years of overgrowth makes trails inaccessible and unsafe, limiting the recreational access of the park.
  • Dense stands of vegetation have historically been home to local homeless population. Homeless Encampment Fires pose a risk to the local ecosystem and the community.

Project Goals

  • Establishing Sustainable Access: Overgrowth makes trails inaccessible, allows invasive species to out compete native vegetation, and puts park visitors at risk. Removing invasive species, garbage and homeless encampments allows open routes of travel for park visitors and staff. Dense stands of Arundo donax outcompete native plants of our wetland communities for water and sunlight. California State Parks is dedicated to keeping Invasive plant species at bay and preventing a resurgence of these populations in perpetuity, as well as providing high quality recreational areas.

  • Encampment Clean-Up: One of the many impacts to the park has been trash. In our efforts to restore the park and improve water quality and health, abandoned encampments are cleaned to limit the long-term effects of rubbish in the park and facilitate native revegetation. Upon project initiation there were 70 active encampments within the project area. As of January 2021, that number has dropped to less than 5 active encampments. To date approximately 200 tons of garbage, invasive species, and hazardous waste have been removed from the project area.

  • Providing Outreach: While planning this project it was clear that developing a process of outreach and notification would be the only path to success. Multiple outreach days have been held each year to offer resources to homeless individuals within the project area. The outreach teams organized by State Parks staff included services for medical care, social services, housing and other transitional needs. These services have been offered and provided to hundreds of individuals who were in the park.

The ongoing endeavor of removing invasive vegetation within Emma Wood Group Camp has taken full swing. Our team of Forestry Aides are working around the clock to remove the perennial & annual weeds, in addition to the exotic species growing within the project site.

Target Species

  • Arundo donax: Arundo is a fast growing tall perennial cane/reed species. Native to the Mediterranean.
  • Poison Hemlock: Poison Hemlock is a highly poisonous biennial herbaceous flowing plant that is native to Europe & North Africa.
  • Spanish Broom: Spanish Broom is a woody flowing plant that is native to the Mediterranean, Southwest Asia and Northwest Africa.
  • Castor Bean: Castor Bean is a perennial flowing plant, that produces a high seed output. Native to the Mediterranean Basin, Eastern Africa, and India.
  • Tree Tobacco: Tree Tobacco is a flowering tree or shrub that can reach heights of 6-20 ft. This plant is native to South America.
  • Cape Ivy: Cape Ivy is a highly invasive vine, that grows in blankets on the ground surface, climbing up into the canopies of trees. Native to South Africa.

Arundo: Arundo is a high priority invasive species because it regrows so quickly. Arundo has the ability to grow 2 inches a day and is resistant to herbicide. After we cut the arundo we have less than five minutes to paint the herbicide on so that it can reach the root structure in time before it closes. It will usually take cutting and painting a patch three times before it finally stops growing back.

Poison Hemlock Removal: Poison hemlock is one of the common invasive species found within the Emma Wood Group Camp property. It is characterized by its tall, green stem and white flower clusters. The Forestry Aides have been busy removing poison hemlock and treating the affected areas afterwards. There are multiple methods to remove the plant including hand pulling and cutting. Once cut, the poison hemlock is sprayed with herbicide to prevent further regrowth.

Engaging neighboring landowners and managers to take concurrent action with various state agencies to remove invasive species from the watershed as a united habitat restoration effort is the desired outcome of our partnership efforts. Long term success and sustainability of this project hinges on this and local agency support, as Emma Wood is a critically sensitive estuary and all upstream effects are felt strongest downstream at Emma Wood.

  • Union Pacific Railroad
  • Ventura Land Trust
  • Parks California - Park Champions
  • Cal Trans
  • DCOR
  • Ventura County Fire Department
  • Ventura City Fire Department
  • Cal Fire
  • California Conservation Corps
  • Ventura Police Department
  • California Department of Fish and Wildlife
  • Ventura Safe and Clean
  • Ventura County Health Care Agency
  • Ventura Behavioral Health Whole Person Care
  • Independent Living Resource Center Transitions Clinic

Various community partners have collaborated to donate staff and materials to further project objectives. Adjoining public landowners and managers have co-hosted volunteer days and contributed significantly to forward progress of project objectives. Some private partners with adjoining land have reimbursed project costs that benefited their property. We look to further partnerships with local groups to foster local involvement with their State Parks!

  • Cal Fire Grant: California State Parks was awarded $90 thousand dollars by Cal Fire through the California Climate Investments, Fire Prevention Grant program. The project will reduce wildfire fuel loads, as well as eliminate large stores of carbon within the watershed therefore preventing a potential release of greenhouse gas emissions. The project will remove approximately 70 acres of Arundo and other non-native plants from the flood plain. Due to the sensitivity of the project area, local stakeholder agencies are engaged with the community and are providing every possible resource to individuals impacted by the project.

    This project is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities.
  • State Parks: The Channel Coast District is committed to the long term sustainability of this project to ensure that Emma Wood maintains the progress made after the scope of the project's work is completed. This includes equipment and PPE purchases, as well as the hiring of 5 seasonal employees specifically dedicated to the project.

    Parks staff from multiple disciplines within the organization have added this project and its ongoing management to the list of responsibilities. These staff range from trades and maintenance, resources management, to planning and law enforcement and are funded through the annual General Fund budget allocations.

    Additionally, specific project funding from State Parks has provided the project access to trash receptacles and professional hazardous waste clean-up crews to address the waste left behind from abandoned homeless encampments in the initial clearing of the area.