Ventura Pier On A Foggy Day
by Nina Prommer
Title
Ventura Pier On A Foggy Day
Artist
Nina Prommer
Medium
Photograph - Photo
Description
Ventura Pier On A Foggy Day by Nina Prommer
The Ventura Pier, formerly known as the Ventura Wharf and the San Buenaventura Wharf, is a wooden pier located on the Pacific Ocean in Ventura, California. The pier has been designated as Ventura Historic Landmark No. 20. It is the oldest pier in California.
The pier was first built in 1872 and served for many years as a transportation hub and commercial wharf used to bring merchandise and lumber to the area and to export the area's agricultural products and crude oil. It has been partially destroyed by storms and waves on several occasions and by collision with the steamer Coos Bay in 1914. The pier's most recent reconstruction and renovation project was completed in 2000. From 1938 to 1995, it was the largest wooden pier on the California coast at a length of 1,958 feet (597 meters).
In its current configuration, the pier is 1,600 feet (490 meters) long. It is no longer used as a commercial wharf and is instead used for fishing and as a pedestrian walkway with views of Ventura and the Channel Islands.
It is owned and operated by the City of Ventura. The city acquired the pier in 1993 from the State of California. The California Department of Parks and Recreation owned the pier from 1949 to 1993. The city had previously owned the pier from 1940 to 1949. Prior to 1940, the pier was privately owned.
As of 2018, the pier is open to the public daily from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The pier features the following activities:
Fishing from the pier deck. Species caught from the pier include jacksmelt, mackerel, sand sharks, perch, croaker, stingrays, Tom cod, halibut, and crabs. Cleaning stations are provided at locations along the pier. No fishing license is required to fish from the pier, but signs are posted on and around the cleaning stations identifying limitations on fishing activities, including size and species restrictions.
The pier is popular for walking, jogging, and bicycling, and has views of the City of Ventura, the Channel Islands National Park (especially Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands), Surfers Point, the Santa Barbara Channel, and the Topatopa Mountains. Evening views include sunsets over the Pacific Ocean and stargazing. Interpretive panels are displayed along the pier with information on the pier's history, local marine life and birds, the Channel Islands, and the Chumash Indians. The pier is also equipped with benches and rest rooms.
The pier has a seafood restaurant (Beach House Fish, The Deck at Eric Ericsson's Fish Co.) and a taco shack (Beach House Tacos).
The pier is located along San Buenaventura State Beach and the Omer Rains Coastal Bikeway. At the base of the pier on the west side, there is the Ventura Promenade Beach Playground. At the base of the pier on the east side, there is a kiosk for rental of bicycles, surreys, and beach equipment.
Pier Into The Future is a non-profit organization formed in 1993 to assist in preserving and maintaining the pier. The organization has established an endowment to support the pier and raises funds by selling naming opportunities and with two annual fundraising events: Pier Under the Stars and a sunset dinner in the spring.
Uploaded
January 17th, 2022
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