Ventura Coastkeepers

[Jean Anker]

Dear Clean Water Advocates of Ventura:

***Ventura Coastkeeper and California Coastkeeper Alliance are teaming up to offer a public workshop to inform local activists on how to get involved in California's process for addressing impaired waterways in your region. Join us on Tuesday, May 11th from 2:30-4:30 at Patagonia’s Headquarters in Ventura, CA (Click for directions to 259 W. Santa Clara St., Ventura, CA)***

Last year, you helped your Regional Water Board adopt a strong regional list of severely polluted waters; your participation ensured that they send strong recommendations of polluted local waterways in need of cleanup to the State Water Board for incorporation into their statewide list of severely polluted waterways, known as the "303(d) list. The State Water Board has released its statewide 303(d) list for review, and will be accepting public comment until May 28th; they have proposed several changes to recommendations received from your Regional Water Board. It is up to you to make sure that important new listings are approved as they may face opposition from polluters and dischargers; there may also be de-listings to oppose.

Checkout the State Water Board's new interactive map to learn more about proposed changes that affect your local watershed. Examples of new local listings up for adoption include:
Calleguas Creek- data collected through Ventura Coastkeeper's monitoring program supports the listing of 6 stretches of this iconic creek for severe trash pollution.
Ventura River- high levels of indicator bacteria make water contact recreation unsafe in this river.
Santa Clara River Estuary- toxic conditions prevent supporting healthy aquatic life in this estuary, and severe nitrate contamination is present.
Surfers Point at Seaside- high levels of indicator bacteria at this beach keep surfers out of the water.
The State Water Board is also gathering water quality data and information to update the statewide list of severely polluted waters for 2012. New data and information will be accepted until June 30th; they are accepting any and all information that you may have to support the listing of severely polluted waters in California. These are your waters and you know them better than anyone; the State Water Board needs to hear from you! Join us at our workshop! While feeding you delicious food and beverage we will give a crash-course on how to comment on the State's proposed revisions to the 303(d) list and compile data and information on your local impaired waterways to submit to the State Water Board in support of new listings. At the workshop, we will take a close look at how you can get involved in mandating the cleanup of impaired local waterways; anyone interested in clean waterways in Ventura County should attend!

Please visit our Severely Polluted Waters page for background information on this important process and join our Speak Out for Clean Water Google Group to stay up-to-date on our upcoming workshop, get involved in this important process, and access tools to help you advocate for clean water in Ventura County. Feel free to contact Tom Lyons at California Coastkeeper Alliance (p: 415-810-2960 or email: [e-mail]) or Jason Weiner at Ventura Coastkeeper (p: 805-823-3301 or email: [e-mail]) for more information.

Please R.S.V.P. by next Thursday, May 6th; just reply to this email and indicate whether or not you can make it.
If you want like to be signed-up for the Google Group, just indicate that in your RSVP and I will sign you up!

Thank you for your interest in healthy waterways!

-Tom-


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Tom Lyons, Policy & GIS Analyst
California Coastkeeper Alliance
[phone]
[e-mail]
www.cacoastkeeper.org
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--
Jason A. Weiner
Associate Director & Staff Attorney
Ventura Coastkeeper

3875-A Telegraph Road, #423
Ventura, CA 93003

Office: [phone]
Cell: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

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