Dear Friends and Neighbors of the Channel Islands Harbor,
We need you to do something special by December 23rd for the Harbor. Write an email to the L.A. Regional Water Board of Directors asking them to update the farming standards that directly impact our Channel Islands Harbor.
- 2,400 acres of farm fields north of the C.I. Harbor, discharge (dump) water runoff directly into the Edison Canal, without filtration of any kind
- Dumping water has been the farm practice for as long as farming has been on the Oxnard plain – accountability standards weren’t high in regards to what got dumped into the canal, harbor or the ocean
- The farmers have an organization (lobbyists) called VCAILG – Ventura County Agricultural Irrigated Lands Group
- VCAILG is powerful and lobbies the Water Board to not closely monitor what is draining out of their fields
- Time for Change – In 2018 when the MGS power plant closed and stopped pumping harbor and canal water through the Edison Canal – our harbor was gravely impacted by the lack of “flow” of all that pumping by the plant
- Today the C.I. Harbor is on an environmental slippery slope (according to Scientists hired by the City). VCAILG farmers discharge 100% of their waste water into the harbor
How can you help Channel Islands Neighborhood Council and the Marine Advisory Committee defend our beautiful Channel Islands Harbor? We’ve already written and submitted a well-documented letter and map, outlining how we believe the Water Board can tighten the governmental oversight of VCAILG and their farming practices. While we all need food grown by farmers, old practices that cause harm to the environment have to stop. New farming methods for recycling their waste water are being used globally – just not in Oxnard. Reduction of pesticides and nitrates – “fertilizers” would be good for the food we eat and good for our harbor. VCAILG will argue that it is ‘just too complicated and too expensive’ for their commercial farming operations to be bothered by Water Board monitoring, testing and best state-of-science improvements in their farming methods.
We all should hold the members of VCAILG accountable – their old-school best practices are mediocre today. We also must hold the State of California’s Water Board of Directors accountable. Can we have our own ME TOO movement for our Harbor? Why do big industrial farmers and their lobbyists get to override what happens to our treasured harbor and directly impact millions of tourism dollars generated by our harbor? Doing nothing will endanger our thriving fishable, swimmable harbor. Can you imagine that the harbor water becomes so toxic that your grandkids can’t go for a swim or you can’t paddle with your friends?
If we do not rise up together, VCAILG will continue to pollute the harbor and the Water Board will let them for ANOTHER FIVE YEARS 2021-2026.
We realize this is a complicated request at Christmas – why do you think that the Water Board made a deadline on the week of Christmas after all? So no one would provide public comments of course. The CINC letter to the LA Water Board is attached as well as a detailed map and the 2016 Newsletter from VCAILG boasting about their “win” over the Water Board.
Read our CINC letter. Copy it. Paste it. Support CINC/MAC. Email it to two Water Board staff by DECEMBER 23RD. They will collect the PUBLIC COMMENT and report to the Water Board.
Email your letter:
Please CC us: [email protected]
Include Oxnard City Council and Mayor:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
“Our strategy was largely successful. The board unanimously adopted the waiver as presented, granting none of the changes sought by the environmental groups.”
Quote by 2016 VCAILG CEO, John Krist
—
Have a great holiday on the swimmable, fishable C.I. Harbor,
Audrey Keller, Chair
CINC Channel Islands Neighborhood Council
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It needs fountain pumps….our Ag Land is important! Please don’t blame the farmers. This happened when you voted to shut Mandalay Power Station down and you were warned of possible new conditions.
City had almost 1/2 million and gave that over to resolve this issue. Put some colorful fountains in and now you have a solution. Please don’t d r a g this out with blame.
Build a SLUICE GATE near Power Plant but do not blame our beloved Farmers!!
I will write to Water Board too.
I wi send a letter and cc everyone on board thank you for letting all of us know I pray that other will join in