FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 3, 2018

NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS:
Main City Contact:  Rosemarie Gaglione, Public Works Director, rosemarie.gaglione@oxnard.org,

1-805-263-3494

Alternate City Contact:  Sujin Beck, Project Manager, sujin.beck@oxnard.org, 1-805-200-5293

PDF: Oxnard_Channel_Islands_Harbor_Water_Quality_Improving-7-3-2018

Channel Islands Harbor Water Quality Is Safe and Improving

Oxnard, California.  Dissolved oxygen levels are improving daily according to the data collected by the City. There are twenty-six sampling locations that are being tested on a daily basis, and of the twenty-six test sites, four sites have low dissolved oxygen levels. These areas are concentrated in the Seabridge Public Marina, Westport, and northern section of Mandalay Bay.

The public can view the test results at https://arcg.is/08ifCO on a geographic information system (GIS) map. The map contains the location of all the sampling sites and the data collected at those sites. The map also has a legend under the “Test Parameter” button to indicate what a normal range should be for each of the parameters that are being tested. Staff is working quickly to upload as much information as possible. At this time, the dissolved oxygen content, salinity, water temperature, and pH is available. The bacteria information will be up by Thursday, July 5, 2018.

Along with the GIS map, the City is also releasing a Frequently Asked Questions document to address the most pressing questions being asked by the public.

The City Council will hold a Special City Council Meeting on Thursday, July 5, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. to award an agreement to Aquatic Bioassay and Consulting Laboratory, Inc. in the amount of $72,650 for water quality sampling and analysis services.  A verbal update report on the city’s work to date will also be provided to the City Council.

Residents are encouraged to report any odor or discoloration in the Harbor waters by calling 1-805-797-7598 or emailing Sujin Beck at sujin.beck@oxnard.org.

Follow us on social media at www.twitter.com/CityofOxnard (@CityofOxnard), www.facebook.com/CityofOxnard and www.vimeo.com/cityofoxnard.

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Jesús Nava, Interim City Manager, jesus.nava@oxnard.org

1. Is it safe to go in the water?

Yes, water testing was completed by the City of Oxnard and test results confirmed the water in the Channel Islands Harbor is not hazardous to human health.

2. Why is the water brown?

The water itself is clear. When you look into the water, what you are seeing is brown algae, giving the appearance of brown water. A Marine Biologist is being hired by the City to review the test results and conduct additional testing and analysis to determine the root cause.

3. 3. How are the oxygen levels? When will test results be released to the public? How often is testing being done?

Please refer to the interactive maps which include daily logs by test location. Daily monitoring Monday thru Friday is occurring and measurements are being taken near the top and the bottom of the water’s surface.

3. 3. 4. Is there a pump in Seabridge that was installed as a backup plan if the power plant closed? Is it running and if not, why?

The pumping vault infrastructure is set up to house an aeration system at two locations within the Seabridge CFD. There is no pump currently installed in the vaults.

3. 3. 5. There has been a video circulating in which dead fish are shown. Where is this at? What is the City doing to rectify the situation?

This video was taken at the Seabridge public marina. The City has formed a task force and is adding a Marine Biologist to the team to assist in testing and analysis. Additionally, aerators are being purchased to conduct a pilot study within the Seabridge public marina to determine if aeration will improve this oxygen deficient area. However, the City will continue to perform detailed water sampling.

3. 3. 6. How often did the NRG pumps operate previously?

The City has made a public records act request to obtain the facts as there is a great deal of conflicting information.

3. 3. 7. Why can’t the City turn the pumps back on at the NRG plant until a resolution is reached?

NRG ceased operations and discharges to surface waters on March 29, 2018. On June 5, 2018 NRG requested the Regional Water Board discontinue coverage under the NPDES permit program because the facility operations and discharges of wastewater to surface waters have ceased. There is a public hearing on September 13, 2018 with the Regional Water Board in Ventura to consider the tentative order which will terminate the requirements in the NPDES permit. For more information or to submit a comment letter, please click here. (NOTE: the time for comments expired September 13, 2018 )

3. 3. 8. What is the County’s role?

The County owns and operates the Channel Islands Harbor, which jurisdiction ends at the Harbor Blvd. bridges over the channels. Mandalay Bay, Seabridge, Westport, Harbour Island, the NRG plant and all land north of the bridges is within the jurisdiction of the City of Oxnard. In speaking with the County, they moved up their quarterly testing schedule. They tested in three locations: the west channel, the east channel and the main turning basin. All locations tested well below acceptable limits for bacteria and heavy metals. Dissolved oxygen levels were above the acceptable threshold, although a bit lower than usual in the west channel.

Oxnard Announces Next Steps in Responding to Channel Islands Harbor Water Quality
Oxnard anuncia los siguientes pasos para responder a la calidad del agua del Puerto Channel Islands

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 27, 2018
Spanish version below/Traducciòn al Español abajo
NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS:
Carri Karuhn, Manager of Media Relations/Community Outreach
1-805-385-7593, carri.karuhn@oxnard.org

Oxnard, California – The City of Oxnard has announced its next steps in responding to water quality in the Channel Islands Harbor.

Meanwhile, bacteriological tests indicate the water in the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard is not hazardous to human health. The bacteriological tests looked for total coliform, E. coli and enterococcus.

The city will continue to conduct bacteriological tests in areas with low-dissolved oxygen.
Residents are encouraged to report any odors or discoloration in Harbor waters by calling
1-805-797-7598.

PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA : 27 de junio de 2018

PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA : 27 de junio de 2018
CONTACTOS CON MEDIOS INFORMATIVOS:
Carri Karuhn, Manager of Media Relations/Community Outreach
1-805-385-7593, carri.karuhn@oxnard.org

Oxnard anuncia los siguientes pasos para responder a la calidad del agua del Puerto Channel
Islands

Oxnard, California – La ciudad de Oxnard ha anunciado sus próximos pasos en la respuesta a la
calidad del agua en el puerto Channel Islands.

Mientras tanto, las pruebas bacteriológicas indican que el agua en el puerto de Channel Islands
en Oxnard no es peligrosa para la salud humana. Las pruebas bacteriológicas buscaron
coliformes totales, E. coli y enterococcus.

La ciudad continuará realizando pruebas bacteriológicas en áreas con oxígeno poco disuelto.
Se alienta a los residentes a reportar cualquier olor o decoloración en las aguas del puerto
llamando al 1-805-797-7598.

Councilman Perello Calls for Joint City-County Emergency Response Team Efforts to Work Hand-in-Hand to Address Unprecedented Threats to the Degradation of Water Quality in the Channel Islands Harbor Waterways (June 26, 2018)

Mayor Flynn and Fellow Members of the Oxnard City Council:

As you all may know, recently, an unprecedentedly large number of reports of odors and discoloration of water in the Channel Islands Harbor Waterways have exploded on the Next Door social media app over the past few weeks.
On June 18th, within twenty-four hours of receiving calls from harbor residents, the City of Oxnard Public Works Department deployed professional staff teams to collect water samples at five locations in the Channel Islands Harbor and Edison Canal area. Additionally, the City of Oxnard established a telephone hotline to report any odors or discoloration in the Channel Islands Harbor Waterways by calling (805) 797-7598.

Water samples were taken at the Channel Islands Harbor inlet, along South Harbor Boulevard; near West Channel Islands Boulevard Bridge; along West Hemlock Street; in the Edison Canal near the Edison Trash Collector; and near West Fifth Street Bridge. Today, the City’s Public Information Officer released information that total coliform, E-coli, and enterococcus bacteriological tests at the above location are showing data results that are not hazardous to human health. That is welcome news. However, the City still awaits test results for presence of nitrogen and phosphorus, nutrients that encourage the algae growth, and the water odor and discoloration problem still persists.

Both the City of Oxnard and the County of Ventura share many mutual responsibilities, interests and challenges in effectively providing public services to the Channel Islands Harbor Waterways. But it is absolutely vital that as elected officials, Members of the Oxnard City Council and the Board of Supervisors work effectively together to help preserve, protect, and defend the public health, safety, and welfare of the residents who live in and near the Channel Islands Harbor Waterways in urgent response to these unprecedented threats to water quality degradation and the peaceful enjoyment of these public waterways.
Accordingly, Mr. Mayor, today I ask the Oxnard City Council, to do everything we can to support and resource emergency response efforts by both our Interim and New City Managers to engage effectively with Ventura County CEO Mike Powers to tackle these problems by pooling the brainpower and public service resources of both city and county public works, environmental health, and public health department professionals to:
(1) Identify what caused the unprecedented degradation of water quality in the Channel Islands Harbor waterways;
(2) Triage the damage caused by such water quality degradation threats, and
(3) Quickly and effectively discharge our joint responsibilities to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of Oxnard residents living in and around the Channel Islands Harbor Waterways, as well as honor the joint and respective responsibilities to each agency set forth under applicable provisions of numerous Channel Islands Harbor Memoranda of Understanding (MOU). Based on collaborative telephone discussions I had with Ventura County Fifth District Supervisor John Zaragoza last Friday, June 22nd, and a face-to-face discussion held during the Vietnam Veterans Moving Wall Exhibit Ceremony on Saturday, June 23rd, I believe and trust that Ventura County will respond to such requests positively.

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