The Ventura County Resource Conservation District and the Natural Resource Conservation Service has established a "Calleguas Creek Permit Coordination Program" that will significantly simplify the permitting process if you want to undertake any of the following conservation practices:

Channel Stabilization: Measures used to stabilize the bed or bottom of a channel.

Clearing and Snagging: Removing snags, drifts, or other obstructions from a channel.

Critical Area Planting: Establishing permanent vegetation to stabilize highly erodable areas and to restore degraded sites such as gullies or stream banks.

Diversion: A channel constructed across the slope to divert runoff into an underground outlet or other practice.

Filter Strip: A strip of area of herbaceous vegetation located between cropland and environmentally sensitive areas.

Grade Stabilization Structure: A structure used to control the grade and prevent or repair damage from head cutting in natural or artificial channels.

Grassed Waterway: A natural or constructed channel that is shaped or graded to required dimensions and established with suitable vegetation.  

Obstruction Removal: The removal of all types of obstructions and materials that prevent or hinder installation of other conservation practices or otherwise adversely affect the environment.  May include rocks, debris, concrete, trash, wood, and non-native plants.

Pipeline: A pipeline less than 8 inches in diameter used to convey water from a source of supply away from sensitive riparian areas.  

Riparian Forest Buffer: An area of trees and shrubs located adjacent to watercourses.

Sediment Basin : A basin constructed adjacent to but not in natural drainages to collect and store debris or sediment.

Stream Bank Protection: Treatment used to stabilize and protect banks of streams or constructed channels. 

Structure for Water Control: A structure used to convey overland flow or concentrated flow into a drainage or under a road.  This practice may be used to repair or replace damaged culverts.

Underground Outlet: A conduit installed beneath the surface of the ground to collect surface water and convey it to a suitable outlet.

This new program is still being finalized and may be ready for implementation in summer of 2007.  For more information, contact the Ventura County Resource Conservation District at (805) 386-4685.