Ojai Valley Trail Bridge, Ventura County, California
Project Name: Ojai Valley Trail Bridge, Ventura County, California Services: Biological Monitoring, CEQA and Permitting Client: Ventura County General Services Agency
This project consisted of the replacement of the Ojai Valley Trail culvert crossing with a bridge at San Antonio Creek, including removal of the existing culverts and associated fill, construction of the bridge and site restoration. The project site is located at the confluence of San Antonio Creek and the Ventura River, and supports the endangered southern steelhead and threatened California red-legged frog. Padre prepared a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the project, and assisted the client in obtaining regulatory permits for construction. Padre biologists monitored installation of an exclusion fence to keep California red-legged frogs out of the work area, monitored demolition of the existing culverts and construction of the bridge, including a pre-construction survey each morning to detect California red-legged frogs within the work site. In addition, Padre biologists assisted in the installation of a silt curtain within a stream pool on the Ventura River, to isolate steelhead from the work area. The project was successfully completed with no take of listed species.
Padre also prepared the CEQA documentation for the project and assisted the client obtain the necessary permits.