from northwest of Ventura River. Additional large quantities of material 

 supplied at irregular intervals during floods by the Ventura and Santa 

 Clara Rivers have caused accretion to the shore line in the Ventura problem 

 area (due partly to the groin effect of the Santa Clara River delta), but 

 construction of reservoirs in the drainage areas of these rivers and below- 

 normal rainfall during the past 12 years have reduced the supply by at least 

 one-half. This reduction in material supply, part of which will be perma- 

 nent, has caused substantial recession of the shore line in recent years. 



The District and Division Engineers concluded that the plan of improve- 

 ment under the existing project is inadequate to provide protection required 

 under existing conditions, and they developed a plan for protecting the 

 Ventura and Pierpont Bay frontage comprising beach fill and nine groins. 

 They found that benefits from prevention of loss of public and private lands 

 and improvements, and recreational benefits justify the work. 



The Beach Erosion Board concurred generally in their conclusions and 

 recommendations and stated the following opinions. Changed conditions since 

 adoption of the original project for this area in 1954 have resulted in ex- 

 pansion of the problem area and necessity for modification of the existing 

 plan of protection. Construction of the groin system should begin with 

 groin 1 at the downdrift (south) end of the system and continue northwest- 

 ward. If groins 1, 2 and 4 comprise the initial construction, as currently 

 proposed, their effectiveness should be observed as a basis for design of 

 the remainder of the groin system. A lesser number of groins than the nine 

 recommended may possibly be more economical for protection of the Ventura 

 and Pierpont area than indicated by the District Engineer's present esti- 

 mates. As the plan contemplates artificially filling the groins with sand 

 to the limit of their impounding capacities, they will not interfere with 

 passage of the available volume of littoral drift. Therefore no important 

 adverse effect on downcoast shores is to be expected from this plan of pro- 

 tection, and no need for continuation of the groin system farther downcoast 

 is apparent at this time. 



The Beach Erosion Board recommended that, in lieu of the existing 

 project, a project be adopted by the United States authorizing Federal 

 participation by the contribution of Federal funds in an amount equal to 

 one-third of the first costs of construction of nine groins and artificial 

 placement of beach fill for the protection of approximately 2 miles of the 

 shore at Ventura, California, substantially in accordance with the plan 

 developed by the District Engineer, with such modifications thereof as may 

 be considered advisable by the Chief of Engineers. The Chief of Engineers 

 concurred in the views and recommendations of the Beach Erosion Board. 



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