Stream Etiquette at Harmon Canyon Preserve

You've heard of trail etiquette, but what about stream etiquette, and why is it so important at Harmon Canyon Preserve?

It is very unusual for the creek in Harmon Canyon to flow all winter, and that makes this a very special year. It is a pivotal time for resident aquatic organisms to complete their life cycle.

Aquatic insects, amphibians, and microorganisms, as well as seedlings that can only germinate and establish in the wettest of years, are crushed when people walk in the creek. Many of these life forms are too small to notice, but every footstep off-trail and into the creek channel has an impact.

An estimated 175,000 visitors come to Harmon Canyon every year. Because of this significant human presence, we must keep in mind that every footstep off-trail and into the creek channel has an impact on the plants and animals of the preserve. Our cumulative impact could love a place like Harmon Canyon to death if we aren’t careful.

Conservation is Ventura Land Trust’s top priority, and too much human presence in the creek corridor is a reason we may need to temporarily close the preserve in order to protect this fragile and ephemeral resource.

Please help us keep the Preserve and all its wonders open to the community by crossing gently and admiring the flowing water from Harmon's road and trails. Please do not walk in the creek channels. Thank you for your help!