History of the Channel Islands Harbor

History of the area began around the Chumash Indians who are believed to have migrated here about 13,000 years ago. They lived on many of the Channel Islands as well as the land area between San Luis Obispo and Malibu.

The area where the Channel Islands Harbor was first noted in Western European history with the visit of Juan Cabrillo in 1542. He actually landed at Point Mugu, and explored the area as far north as Ventura. The next visitor from Europe was the explorer Sebastian Viscaino, who sailed by Port Hueneme into the Channel between the Anacapas and the coastline, naming it "Santa Barbara Channel" This was in the year 1602. The Franciscan friars began their establishment of the missions in 1700’s, and thereafter the population of present day Ventura County began to grow. This area was under a Spanish land grant from 1837.

The original grantees sold and resold the land because few of them wanted to live here, preferring Spain. One of the major purchasers of this land was Thomas Scott, of New York, and another was Christian Borchard. Thomas Scott was an absentee owner, a wealthy business and oil entrepreneur. He sent his faithful employee Thomas Bard to California to represent his interests in California. In 1873, the County of Ventura was formed, being carved out of the larger Santa Barbara County. The separation was by mutual agreement, and the development of Ventura County actually began. Thomas Bard, the representative of Thomas Scott, was to become a renowned county father. He later became Senator Bard, and was a leader among the many early Ventura County families, who included the McGraths, Oxnards, Petits, Donions, and Ruggles. 

The U.S. Navy took over Port Hueneme on March 5, 1942, using eminent domain for wartime naval activity. It became a crucial logistics and construction hub during World War II. At this time, more than 300 vessels were evicted from Port Hueneme, and additional docking space had to be found.

In 1945, the United States Congress, through the auspices of California Congressman, Richard Nixon, authorized the Army Corps of Engineers to begin surveying the need for a new harbor in the vicinity of Port Hueneme. Of course, every city and town wanted the harbor, as it would be built at government expense. The government needed the harbor to replace the Port of Hueneme as promised to the local citizens, but a more pressing reason prevailed as well. The site for the new harbor was chosen at Silver Strand for many reasons. First, fewer occupied residences would have to be bought out, and the undeveloped land needed was quite inexpensive; but most importantly, it was closest to the eroding beaches at Hueneme, and the dredged material forming the new harbor could easily be transported to the affected area.

It took 18 years from the time of the authorization to the 1965 dedication of the Channel Islands Harbor. There all the material taken from the site of the new harbor was moved through pneumatic pumping to Hueneme. What a beautiful sight to see the sea water advancing further and further along the rock jetties as they formed the new harbor. Development of the area began as soon as the dredging started. Requests for docks were received on a daily basis. It was soon apparent that the arrival of a new harbor was going to be a tremendous boon for the entire area. Before the harbor was completed by the Corps of Engineers, the Oxnard Water Development Commission was formed, with the directive to enlarge the harbor, building more slips, and erecting a bridge along Channel Islands Boulevard so private residential subdivisions could have their own docking facilities as well as access to the open sea. Martin V. Smith, a local developer and businessman, built the Casa Sirena Hotel, the Lobster Trap restaurant and the Anchorage Waterfront apartments. The Channel Islands Yacht Club, oldest in the area, founded in 1960, obtained a new residence for their club along the main channel, and other yacht clubs soon followed. Boat owners from Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, and up and down the coast were vying for docking space. Up until 1997, funds received from the slip fees and rents of properties in and around the Harbor had paid for all the Park and Recreation expenses in the City of Oxnard.

In the late 1980's serious problems began to emerge with the seawalls. Small cracks were developing at the major cross section at Victoria and Channel Islands Harbor, as well as in a number of the seawalls in the "Mandalay Bay" development of the harbor. These were not easy or inexpensive "fixes," and in 1997 the City Council reversed the collection of harbor monies for the Parks and Recreation Department, and instead applied those monies to the rebuilding of the seawalls. In a conversation with the Deputy Director of Channel Islands Harbor, it was learned that the County of Ventura is responsible for the up-keep of the seawalls from the bridge at Channel Islands Boulevard to the South, and the City of Oxnard is responsible for the up-keep from the bridge to the North. Of course, tax revenues on private properties were increased considerably, and were able to by-pass the Proposition 13 amendment by calling it a "special assessment" rather than a tax increase. Oxnard, as a city, has been growth-oriented, inviting many businesses to come here, and many have answered that call. The harbor has not been able to sustain the same level growth, for reasons citizens cannot understand. In spite of the tremendous growth in personal properties, our harbor businesses have not flourished. This is a problem our five County Supervisors must deal with, and we will keep you posted on any developments in this area. There will be an extension of channels in the new Westport and Sea Bridge developments at Victoria, between Wooley and Harbor Boulevard, and will become part of our Channel Islands Harbor family. 

• Erosion control: The primary goal was to solve beach erosion, which began after the Port of Hueneme opened and its northern jetty blocked the natural, southbound movement of sand along the coast.
• Harbor creation: the US Army Corps of Engineers began dredging the area in 1960, creating a recreational harbor from sand dunes and wetlands. The project was completed and officially opened in 1965.
• Sand trap system: A sand trap at the harbor entrance was a key feature. Sand that would have been lost to the ocean was collected and periodically dredged to replenish beaches south of Port Hueneme.
• Development: The County of Ventura took over the harbor's management in 1963 and later made an agreement with the city of Oxnard for it to provide utilities for the area. Ventura County still owns the harbor, leasing county land to private developers to build amenities like marinas, restaurants, and shops.
• Today: The harbor is now a hub for recreation, with marinas, sportfishing facilities, restaurants, and shops. It is also the closest access point to the Channel Islands National Park.