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Sand Buildup At Ventura Harbor Forces Its Closure

VENTURA (CBSLA.com) — No boats are going in and out of Ventura Harbor due to an excessive amount of sand that has accumulated after the last few big storms, impacting the local fishing business.

One of Jerry Morgan's squid boats is now stuck in the harbor that has been closed since Jan. 22. "We can't get out and work. We're tied up at the dock," he said.

Morgan said he and his crew may be losing up to $15,000 a week, and he is now collecting unemployment. "Imagine you can't go to work, and you're trying to find other jobs to subsidize you to get through," he said.

Hundreds of boats are now trapped after El Niño storms and strong currents caused an accumulation of sand at the harbor entrance.

An area that was once 40 feet deep is now only about 13 feet deep. The waves near the Ventura Pier back in December were an example of the strong systems battering the area.

Dozens of people affected by the closure showed up at a meeting Wednesday night to find out what will happen next. Harbor Master John Higgins told them a dredger is expected to arrive by Friday, but it may take at least a week to clear out all the sand.

"I wouldn't say we are unprepared because we had arrangements for the dredge to be here by the 8th. We just had a need for it to be here two weeks earlier," Higgins said.

To Morgan, the dredge cannot be here fast enough. But he realized the closure is part of the job. "Things happen. That's fishing. So you're kind of at the element."

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