The current Las Llajas canyon earthen dam is a huge waste of government money and it should be removed and downsized to a more aesthetic and cost effective debris basin similar to the one in Chivo canyon to the west on Cottonwood Drive.

Local politics during the 1970's attempted prevent housing development in this area by trying to create a lake behind this dam until earthquake issues deemed earthen dams inadequate to hold water for lakes.

A secondary reason for installing this dam was for the purpose of removing the main access road into the 1920's approved residential subdivision named Marrland. When the Las Llajas canyon dam was installed Marrland Boulevard disappeared, along with the utilities that had existed to service the residential home sites in the Marrland residential subdivision. Telephone and electrical poles and water and gas lines were removed.

Since the 1940's several attempts at the local government level have been made to essentially hide the existence of this residential subdivision as a means of preventing development in this area by the private owners of these home sites. To this day, privately owned residential home sites still exist in both Las llajas and Chivo canyons.

When it became apparent that a lake could not be made behind the Las Llajas canyon dam efforts were then made to try and install another dam in Chivo canyon. Both of these dams were eventually deemed by the Ventura County Grand Jury and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers not to be cost effective and unjustified as a means of controlling the flood waters flowing out of the Las Llajas and Chivo canyon areas.

Annually a great deal of local Ventura County government funding is expended maintaining the Las Llajas canyon dam from removing weeds growing on the face of this dam to removing built up sediment trapped behind this dam.

The Las Llajas canyon dam is a "White Elephant", an eyesore, and it blocks magnificent views and access into the Las llajas canyon. It also creates pools of water which breeds mosquitoes, etc.

If you agree that the Las Llajas canyon dam should be removed and downsized to a smaller debris basin that is much more cost effective to maintain and which will save funds of the Ventura County Watershed Protection District to be used in areas more in need of flood protection projects please sign this petition.