About the District

In 1949, growers in the East End of the Ojai Valley formed a water reclamation district called the San Antonio Water Conservation District, which was renamed in 1990 to the Ojai Water Conservation District (OWCD). The district was formed primarily to divert water into settling ponds along San Antonio Creek for groundwater recharge of the Ojai Valley Groundwa­ter Basin.

OWCD continues as a small special district authorized to monitor the use of groundwater and groundwater recharge, acquire water rights, store and spread water, and construct dams or other water facilities. The district does not provide direct water service. Funding is provided primarily by property taxes.

OWCD’s service area (see map) is within the service area of the more-recently formed Ojai Basin Groundwater Management Agency (OBGMA) and the two organizations work closely together. OWCD is represented on OBGMA’s board of directors.