Lynn Maulhardt, a local groundwater leader whose family farmed on the Oxnard Plain since the late 1860s, has died.
He was 78.
The fourth-generation Ventura County farmer was a descendant of the Maulhardt and Borchard families. He grew up on his family's Oxnard farm that remained his home for most of his life, his obituary said. He and his wife of 56 years raised their own children
at the spot. He died Sept. 10.
Maulhardt served on the United Water Conservation District board for four decades and represented northeast Oxnard. In 1987, he was named board chair of the Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency, a position he remained in for the next 30 years. He then returned to Fox Canyon in 2022.
Shortly after his death, the board adopted a resolution
in his honor. Board chair Eugene West described Maulhardt's death as unexpected, a great loss to the agency and a greater loss for the community that he served.
"I can't even imagine the weight of the loss on his family and loved ones," West said, during the Sept. 23 meeting.
Maulhardt brought his full depth and breadth of expertise to the board, from groundwater to resource conservation to farming, according to the resolution. The document described him as open-minded and constructive, saying he led the agency steadily during his tenure.
Tony Trembley, a Camarillo council member and Fox Canyon board member, called Maulhardt a friend and his death a gut punch.
"I think it's an extraordinary loss for the region, because that was in Lynn's mind. That was uppermost," he said. "He was trying to get things done and accomplish things in a good stewardship way for our region."
Whether someone agreed or disagreed with Maulhardt on any given subject, they returned to being friends and respectful of one another, Trembley said.
"That gets lost a lot in today's environment," he said. "I thought Lynn was the epitome of a public servant, and he gave so much time for this."
County Supervisor Kelly Long, also on the Fox Canyon board, described Maulhardt as having a true passion for water, agriculture and flying. The once fighter jet pilot with the U.S. Air Force later flew for Continental Airlines.
Born in Oxnard, Maulhardt attended Santa Clara High School. He received a bachelor's degree from Loyola University of Los Angeles, now called Loyola Marymount, and a master’s degree from Webster University, his obituary said. While at Loyola he met his wife Marsha Ann Corrigan, who was a student at Mount Saint Mary’s College at the time.
Maulhardt entered the Air Force in 1970. A tactical fighter pilot, he was stationed in Thailand during the Vietnam War. In his retirement, the father of four and grandfather of six discovered a love of bicycling, his obituary said. He approached life with dedication and "an unmistakable sense of humor."
Assemblymember Steve Bennett, D-Ventura, called Maulhardt both passionate and cherished at United and Fox Canyon. He wanted the groundwater management agency to get it right, said Bennett, previously a county supervisor and a former Fox Canyon board member alongside Maulhardt.
One of the things West said he enjoyed most about the Fox Canyon meetings was the 20 to 30 minutes before and after they took their seats. That's when they would hear "all manner of stories" from Maulhardt about events, from those related to water or travel, to others about cycling or airlines.
"I'll miss those hours and miss him," West said.
Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura County water leader, fourth-generation farmer dies
