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Thousand Oaks

Park View: Rain Showers, Nature’s Powers and Beautiful Flowers

Have we seen the last of the rain? Are April showers in the forecast? With more than double the annual rainfall average in the Conejo Valley this year, the impacts have been noticeable. News of flooding throughout the state has become commonplace. Lakes and reservoirs have been filling fast and overflowing; historical Tulare Lake has even reappeared in the San Joaquin Valley.

Locally, we have had similar reports. Vernal ponds and streams throughout the open space are full and flowing like nothing seen in recent history. In fact, stream channels have been carved out in places where water has never been seen flowing before.

“Wildflowers will be in bloom for a little while, so plan a hike to enjoy the splendor of spring in our local open space.”

While the abundance of water has been a gift to our local, natural environment, it has also taken its toll on water diversion structures, infrastructure, trails and other outdoor amenities. The Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA) Rangers have been tasked with myriads of emergency responses and repairs. The fix-it list is long and growing, so staff has had to regularly re-prioritize work projects.

I’d wanted to get out on the trails for weeks, only to be thwarted by rainstorms and schedule conflicts. While in the past few years rainstorms have typically lasted only a few hours, this year, each downpour seemed to last for days. With the persistent rain pattern since January and the growing total amount of rainfall, the trails have not been useable for days on end due to muddy conditions and storm-related damages.

Not only have the trails been affected, but our local Conejo Recreation and Park District parks have been impacted too. On a recent visit to Triunfo Community Park, two weeks past the last rainfall, the parking lot, the sidewalks, the turf, the tennis courts and the ballfields were all covered with water. I watched as it was actively seeping out of the hillsides! As fast as the grounds crew drained the courts and fields, they filled up with water again the very next day.

It remains to be seen if the last of the rain has fallen. Whether or not we get April showers, wildflowers are already bursting throughout the Conejo Valley hillsides – not waiting for the month of May.

During the first week of April, I could finally visit Wildwood Park. I hiked along the Mesa and Stage Coach Bluff Trails in search of wildflowers. I did not have to go far; wildflowers were everywhere. As soon as I started walking along the trail from the parking lot, yellow, orange, red, blue, purple, and white covered a sea of green grass and forbs across the entire Wildwood Mesa.

“While the abundance of water has been a gift to our local, natural environment, it has also taken its toll on water diversion structures, infrastructure, trails and other outdoor amenities.”

It will take a while for the Rangers to repair all the damaged trails and eroded hillsides, so be cautious if and when you go out. Attempting to hike on wet or muddy trails can be dangerous, so please avoid taking unnecessary risks. Wildflowers will be in bloom for a little while, so plan a hike to enjoy the splendor of spring in our local open space. In a year of abundant rainfall, we get a season of abundant color. It’s a good reminder of the beautiful community we live in.

One more thing: I’m still trying to find the elusive chocolate lily, so let me know if you see any while you are out on the trails.

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