In a corner of the Santa Clara River estuary, red-winged blackbirds trilled as they flitted about the tule reeds, just one song that rose from the cacophony of birds, crickets and insects that call the wetlands home.

Under the surface, endangered species such as the tidewater goby and steelhead trout swim in the ready supply of fresh water in one of the last estuaries of its size and ecological complexity in Southern California.  And much of this is because of treated sewage.

The city of Ventura dumps more than 8 million gallons of treated wastewater into the estuary every day, greatly increasing its size, which some say creates an important environment for the myriad species there. Others argue the effluent does little to enhance the ecosystem and might even harm endangered species there.

Read more at the Ventura  County Star...