Oxnard Shores

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7_BEACON Tech Report (FINAL)

2.3.5.5 Other Sensitive Biological Resources

San BuenaVentura State Beach downcoast from the Surfer's Point sand placement site

has been reported as regularly supporting grunion spawning (Blunt 1980).

2.3.6 Oxnard Shores

2.3.6.1 Intertidal

Figure 2-5 shows the biological resources in the vicinity of the Oxnard Shores sand

placement site. The intertidal substrate in this are consists entirely of sand.

2.3.6.2 Subtidal

The subtidal substrate off Oxnard Shores consists entirely of sand. There are no kelp

beds in the vicinity of Oxnard Shores.

2.3.6.3 Wetlands

The Santa Clara River mouth is located about 1.5 miles north of the Oxnard Shores

beach placement site. The Santa Clara River mouth is a Ventura County ESH and a

State of California Natural Preserve. A barrier beach forms at the mouth during periods

of low flow. The berm is usually breached by high winter flows and/or wave

overwashing after which the inlet stays open for varying lengths of time. The 133-acre

estuarine/marsh habitat supports high intensity bird utilization including nesting by the

federal and state endangered California least tern. Tidewater gobies and southern

steelhead both occur in the Santa Clara River.

McGrath Lake is a small (about 10 acres) wetlands area that was part of the historic

Santa Clara River estuary and delta system. McGrath Lake is located just north of the

Oxnard Shores beach placement site. McGrath Lake has been designated an ESH by

the County of Ventura because it includes sensitive marsh and dune habitats. There is

no ocean inlet, although waves occasionally overwash the beach berm. California least

terns nest from the Santa Clara River mouth to McGrath Lake (CDFG 2000). Western

snowy plovers also nest at McGrath Lake (M. Wehtje, CDFG, personal communication

2000).

2.3.6.4 Sensitive Species

California least terns nest in the area between the Santa Clara River mouth and

McGrath Lake immediately upcoast from the Oxnard Shores beach placement site.

In 1999, this colony consisted of between 13 and 18 pairs, down from 43 pairs in 1998

3208 Bio Report

06/12/02