[note 1] When a storm destroyed the wharf in 1938, Oxnard Harbor District was formed and finished construction of the Port of Hueneme in 1940.

In November 2012, the Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board voted to preserve the 1899 lens by retiring it from active service, so it can be displayed on a lower floor of the lighthouse and more easily viewed by the public.

The owners were attempting to cut down on moorage costs by leaving the vessel at anchor in the open ocean, directly offshore.

With only one watchman aboard, the vessel fell victim to storm-tossed seas, causing the 465-foot-long (142 m) ship to slip her anchor cables.

The U.S. Coast Guards Aids to Navigation Team Los Angeles/Long Beach(CG ANT LA/LB) is in charge of operation and maintenance of the lighthouse and Fresnel Lens.