Parkway Preserve
Photo Credit: ©Rich Reid Photos
Parkway Preserve is a 28-acre property located along North Ventura Avenue near the confluence of Cañada Larga Creek and the Ventura River. Acquired by OVLC and The Trust for Public Land in 2021, the preserve represents a rare opportunity to restore a degraded landscape while creating lasting benefits for nearby communities.
Historically, the property was used for agricultural purposes. In the late 1970s, after the construction of Hwy 33, the area began transitioning to industrial use. However, the portion of the site planned for Parkway Preserve proved to be unbuildable due to the flooding impacts from the Canada Larga Watershed. In an attempt to raise the site above the floodplain, more than 60,000 cubic yards of fill were imported, and the site was overtaken with invasive vegetation. These interventions altered the site's natural floodplain function, reduced habitat value, and limited its ability to absorb and filter stormwater before reaching the Ventura River.
Today, Parkway Preserve has the potential to become something very different.
Parkway Preserve has the potential to transform a degraded vacant site into a thriving floodplain ecosystem that supports wildlife, improves watershed health, and provides new opportunities for people to experience and enjoy the Ventura River.
Since acquiring the property, OVLC has worked closely with local residents, Tribal representatives, community organizations, and agency partners to help shape a vision for the preserve's future. Through public engagement events, meetings, workshops, Spanish-language outreach, conversations with Ventura Avenue residents, and collaboration with Chumash Tribal representatives, community members have helped identify priorities for how the site should be restored and experienced. The result is a vision for Parkway Preserve that is both ecological and community-focused: a restored floodplain landscape that supports wildlife, improves watershed health, reduces flood impacts, and creates welcoming opportunities for people to connect with nature.
A Future Vision for Parkway Preserve
At the heart of the vision for Parkway Preserve is a series of interconnected floodplain basins designed to help manage stormwater moving across the site. More than just water-management features, these basins form the backbone of the restoration design—supporting habitat creation, improving water quality, enhancing the visitor experience, and helping reduce flooding during major storm events.
These basins will function as bio-retention areas, using native vegetation to help slow, filter, and clean stormwater as it moves through the site. Similar to the successful restoration at Ojai Meadows Preserve, native plants will help capture sediment, remove pollutants, improve water quality, and provide habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. Together, these features create a more resilient landscape that supports both ecological health and flood management.
Detailed hydrologic modeling is underway which demonstrates how the restoration would provide flood resiliency benefits during major storm events.
Because the Ventura River bike path already passes through the preserve, Parkway offers a unique opportunity to create places where cyclists, walkers, and other visitors can pause, learn about the landscape, observe wildlife, and enjoy views of the river corridor and surrounding habitat.
Parkway Preserve will support a diverse mix of plants and wildlife. Riparian native plants help absorb and filter pollutants before the water quality enters underground aquifers and the Ventura River.
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California Sagebrush / Artemisia californica
Coyote Brush / Baccharis pilularis
Mulefat / Baccharis salicifolia
Willow baccharis / Baccharis salicina
Laurel Sumac / Malosma laurina
California Sycamore / Plantanus racemosa
Arrow Weed / Pluchea sericea
Fremont Cottonwood / Populus fremontii
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Box Elder / Acer negundo
California Mugwort / Artemisia douglasiana
Mulefat / Baccharis salicifolia
California Wax Myrtle / Morella californica
California Sycamore / Platanus racemosa
Fremont Cottonwood / Populus fremontii
Black Cottonwood / Populus trichocarpa
Pacific Willow / Salix lucida spp. Lasiandra
Sandbar Willow / Salix exigua
Red Willow / Salix lavigata
Arroyo Willow / Salix lasiolepis
Tule / Schoenoplectus acutus car. Occidentalis
Connecting People to the River
The future of Parkway Preserve is being shaped not only by ecological goals, but also by a vision for how people can experience and connect with the Ventura River corridor.
Through community meetings, workshops, outreach events, surveys, and conversations with local residents, OVLC sought input from the people who live, work, and recreate near the preserve. Engagement efforts included Spanish-language outreach, collaboration with community organizations, conversations with Ventura Avenue residents, and discussions with Tribal representatives and local partners. These conversations helped identify the amenities, programs, and experiences that community members would most like to see incorporated into the future of Parkway Preserve.
Several priorities consistently emerged. The percentages below represent the share of survey respondents who identified each item as a priority:
Restrooms (85%)
Picnic Areas (60%)
Wayfinding Signage & Trail Markers (58%)
Ecological Programming (55%)
Native Plant Workshops (47%)
Guided Hikes & Educational Programs (44%)
Family-Friendly Activities (40%)
Cultural Programming (36%)
Transportation Assistance (22%)
These priorities helped shape the conceptual design and continue to inform future planning efforts. From gathering spaces and educational opportunities to enhanced access along the Ventura River bike path, the vision for Parkway Preserve reflects both community needs and ecological goals.
Honoring the Land's Cultural Significance
Long before roads, neighborhoods, and industry arrived, this area was part of a broader cultural landscape stewarded by the Chumash people.
OVLC recognizes that conservation is not only about protecting plants, animals, and waterways—it is also about acknowledging and respecting the people who have maintained relationships with these lands for thousands of years. As planning continues, OVLC remains committed to listening, learning, and incorporating Tribal perspectives into the project.
By bringing together ecological restoration, community priorities, and cultural awareness, Parkway Preserve has the potential to become a place that reflects the rich natural and cultural history of the Ventura River corridor while serving future generations.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next?
Parkway Preserve remains in the planning and design phase.
As designs evolve and funding opportunities emerge, OVLC will continue working with residents, Tribal representatives, community partners, and agencies to create a preserve that reflects shared values and serves future generations.
Parkway Preserve is more than a restoration project. It is an investment in community resilience, clean water, cultural connection, and a healthier future for the Ventura River watershed.
EVENTS & Upcoming Community Engagement Opportunities
The future of Parkway Preserve continues to be shaped through collaboration with community members, Tribal representatives, local organizations, and agency partners. As planning progresses toward the final design phase, OVLC is continuing to gather input that reflects the needs, ideas, and priorities of the surrounding community.
On August 27, 2026, OVLC will host a focus group with community leaders to gather feedback on the planning and final design phase of the project. While this meeting is not open to the public, the input gathered will help inform the next phase of community engagement and design development.
The broader community is invited to participate in an upcoming Spanish-language public forum on September 12, 2026, at Bell Arts Factory in Ventura. This will be the third and final public consultation forum focused on the co-design of Parkway Preserve.
The vision for Parkway Preserve is the result of collaboration among community members, Tribal representatives, public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and funding partners who share a commitment to a healthier Ventura River corridor. From land acquisition and restoration planning to community engagement and future implementation, these partnerships have been essential to advancing the project and ensuring that Parkway Preserve serves both people and nature.
We are grateful to the organizations and agencies helping make this vision possible.
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Our mission is to protect and restore the natural landscapes of the Ojai Valley forever.