The County of Ventura is actively planning for sea level rise to protect coastal resources and to minimize impacts to residents, businesses, and visitors. The coastal zone in unincorporated Ventura County includes approximately 29 miles of coastline and is home to world class surf spots, including Rincon Point. Land uses along the County's coastline include public beaches, State park facilities, critical infrastructure such as bridges, State highways and coastal access routes, residential communities, agricultural fields, and one naval base. As such, coastal hazards associated with sea-level rise could result in significant impacts throughout the coastal zone.
The VC Resilient Coastal Adaptation Project (VC Resilient) strives to use the best available science to understand critical vulnerabilities and then to develop a balanced and forward-thinking response to sea-level rise. Through an understanding of coastal hazards, we can begin to prepare for a future when sea level rise impacts are more severe.
Generous grants from the California Coastal Commission and the California Coastal Conservancy, together with supplemental funding from the County of Ventura, have made this project possible.
A GIS Story Map was also developed to interactively view the County’s sea level rise maps online and learn more about the VC Resilient Project. Click on the link below to view the GIS Story Map.
Public Review Draft Sea Level Rise Adaptation Report Now Available!
A Public Review Draft Sea Level Rise Adaptation Strategies Report is available by clicking on the link below. The Draft Adaptation Strategies Report provides a summary of the Vulnerability Assessment results, describes various adaptation strategies and tools that could be used to improve the resilience of unincorporated Ventura County, and provides some examples of adaptation pathways to help illustrate coastal adaptation planning approaches. There will be a 30-day review and comment period for the Draft Adaptation Strategies Report that will conclude on Friday, March 29, 2019. Public comments on the report can be submitted to the Project Planner, Aaron Engstrom, at (805) 654-2936, or through an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
The Draft Sea Level Rise Adaptation Strategies Report was also reviewed and discussed during a work session before the Planning Commission of Ventura County on March 7, 2019. The report will be revised based on comments received from the Planning Commission and the public. However, responses will not be provided to each comment received because the report is for informational purposes only. The Public Review Draft Sea Level Rise Adaptation Strategies Report and PowerPoint slideshow for the Planning Commission work session are available by clicking on the links below:
Click Here for the VC Resilient Public Review Draft Sea Level Rise Adaptation Report
Click Here for the VC Resilient Planning Commission Work Session PowerPoint Presentation
Vulnerability Assessment Report
The first step in the VC Resilient Project is development of a Vulnerability Assessment. Click on the links below to read the Vulnerability Assessment. This assessment is an informational document that highlights potential impacts using three different sea level rise scenarios across the entire unincorporated County coastline. The Vulnerability Assessment includes analysis of sea level rise projections out to the year 2100. The best available science was used to complete the report with a range of projections, including those that we already face with high tides and storms.
The Vulnerability Assessment can be accessed through the following links. Due to the large file size, the assessment has been broken into segments.
- VC Resilient Vulnerability Assessment - Report Body
- VC Resilient Vulnerability Assessment - Appendix A - Sector Profile Maps - Part 1
- VC Resilient Vulnerability Assessment - Appendix A - Sector Profile Maps - Part 2
- VC Resilient Vulnerability Assessment - Appendix B - Vulnerability Results Table
- VC Resilient Vulnerability Assessment - Appendix C - Social Vulnerability
- VC Resilient Vulnerability Assessment - Appendix D - Natural Resources Maps
The Vulnerability Assessment is a starting point for a common understanding of the risks, but it does not provide solutions. There are few easy solutions and most require additional funding and input from the public and from private landowners and resource agencies. This first step is a comprehensive look at what is exposed and how sensitive these assets are to sea level rise. The next step is to begin planning for adaptation. The goal is proactive, thoughtful adaptation planning that will allow Ventura County to minimize risks and meet the challenges posed by rising seas.
Click here to subscribe to the VC Resilient stakeholder list. You will receive email notifications regarding this project and future public hearings.
VC Resilient Project
Please click on the links below to access the PowerPoint slideshows from public workshops for the Vulnerability Assessment that occurred on April 11, 2018.
Public Workshop "Frequently Asked Questions" handout
Click here.
Workshop #1 (North-and Central Coast Focused);
PowerPoint Slideshow
Workshop #2 (South-Coast Focused);
PowerPoint Slideshow
Links to two established sea level rise models that were used to develop the Vulnerability Assessment are provided below:
Existing Local Coastal Plan
See the existing Ventura County Planning documents for the LCP here:
Coastal Area PlanCoastal Zoning Ordinance
Categorical Exclusion Order (E-83-1 & E-83-1A)
Coastal Maps
North Coast Land Use MapNorth Coast Zoning Map
North Coast Aerial Map
Central Coast Land Use Map
Central Coast Zoning Map
Central Coast Aerial Map
South Coast Land Use Map
South Coast Zoning Map
South Coast Aerial Map