County Stormwater Program
In the unincorporated areas (UA) of Ventura County, the Federally-mandated stormwater management program is administered by the County Stormwater Program Group. The Program implements requirements and ensures compliance under Ventura Municipal Stormwater Permit Order No. R4-2010-0108 within the UA portions of Ventura County and for specific County-owned or operated facilities. The Program addresses activities such as development project conditioning, construction site inspections, illicit discharge investigation and enforcement, business compliance inspection, public outreach/education, and County employee training needed to ensure proper Stormwater Permit administration. Toward reducing pollutants from the urbanized unincorporated areas, the Stormwater Section actively seeks additional funding and public/private partnerships, and oversees the design, construction and maintenance of stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP’s). For all your stormwater permitting needs, please visit Ventura County’s One-Stop Permitting website at https://onestop.vcpublicworks.org/stormwater-welcome.
Click here to report a suspicious discharge or illegal dumping.
Groundwater Resources
The Groundwater Section has been providing groundwater information (i.e., well water levels to track aquifer volume, laboratory results of groundwater quality samples, etc.) along with well construction information (Well Driller Log data) to the public for more than 50 years, while continuing to improve such service in an effort to stay current with the latest formats and means used to produce and access scientific data. Periodic surveys involve measuring groundwater levels at key monitoring or extraction well sites, and sampling-testing existing wells for water quality. Such activities help to understand and track vital groundwater supplies so we can address any potential concerns before they become problems. New and existing information is recorded, coordinated, and included in topical and/or annual reports or special study papers.
The Ventura County Groundwater Section also evaluates proposed new development projects with regard to water supply sources (groundwater, surface flows, imported and reclaimed water, as well as alternative sources such as conjunctive use and desalination). Water management programs include drought planning, Well Ordinance regulatory compliance, and specific water conservation programs. Water Resources Division also provides staff, administrative services, and logistical support to a State Special District within Ventura County called Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency.
Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency (FCGMA)
The Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency (FCGMA) was created by the State Legislature in 1983 to manage and protect both confined and unconfined aquifers within several groundwater basins underlying the southern portion of Ventura County. The FCGMA operates as a State Independent Special District, separate from the County of Ventura or any city government, and was tasked to address seawater intrusion and to manage and oversee Ventura County’s vital main groundwater resources. All lands (and groundwater resources/aquifers) lying above the deep Fox Canyon aquifer fall within the Agency boundaries. These groundwater sources account for more than half of the annual farming, industrial-municipal, and domestic water needs for approximately 700,000 residents in or adjacent to the cities of Camarillo, Moorpark, Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Ventura, as well as the unincorporated communities of El Rio, Leisure Village, Montalvo, Moorpark Home Acres, Nyeland Acres, Point Mugu, Saticoy, and Somis. All water extraction well owners and operators must adhere to FCGMA ordinances and rules under a mutually-cooperative system of groundwater management and resource protection.
Stormwater Resources
Acknowledging the value of stormwater as a resource, the Stormwater Resources Section provides technical and organizational support toward efforts that capture stormwater and/or improve its quality and use countywide. Responsible for the Principal Permittee requirements of the Ventura Countywide Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System portion of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (or NPDES) Permit, County staff works closely with all ten cities acting in the role of leading the Ventura Countywide Stormwater Quality Management Program (aka the “Program”). Tasks include the collection and analysis of stormwater quality, tracking and monitoring urban runoff, compliance reporting, and identifying and implementing special studies to increase the understanding of stormwater as a resource within Ventura County. For more information, go to https://www.vcstormwater.org/ and https://www.cleanwatershed.org/
