Six years later, flood control work on the Santa Ana River in Yorba Linda is nearing completion – Orange County Register

The latest flood control improvements along the lower Santa Ana River are expected to be completed this spring, part of a decades-long series of projects that federal and local officials have announced. that would better protect neighboring communities in the event of severe water surges.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project east of Yorba Linda, which has lasted nearly six years, should be completed by the expected July end date, said Peter Gauer, resident engineer for the Corps. “We anticipate they will finish ahead of schedule, possibly April this year.”

The project – which includes 2.4 miles of the north bank of the Santa Ana River on both sides of the Gypsum Canyon road bridge – is the final phase of nearly three decades of work by the Army Corps to enhance river infrastructure. and improved flood resilience along 30 miles from the Prado Dam to the Pacific Ocean.

Completion of the Yorba Linda site will allow for the safe release of up to 30,000 cubic feet of water per second from the Prado Dam — an amount nearly six times the current amount of heavy wastewater, Gauer said.

It is part of a project larger than 75 miles on the Santa Ana RiverThere is still work going on above the Prado Dam, funded by a federal and local partnership between Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, with federal funding covering approximately 65% ​​of the cost.

In addition to improved flood resistance, the end of the project is good news for Yorba Linda residents, who have had to deal with smog, noise and pollution, said Geoff Spencer, a city spokesman. traffic for the past six years. At times, huge rocks were brought in to fortify the banks.

“We welcome the return of the tranquil, natural setting that has drawn people to live in this idyllic corner of Yorba Linda,” Spencer said in a statement. “While Yorba Linda residents are resilient, the project’s years-long duration has been challenging and disappointing for many.”

The $30 million project in Yorba Linda took longer than it should have – there must have been a change in the construction team – but he hopes the results will be worth it, says Gauer.

“We want to get this done as fast as anyone else,” he said. “When we put all this landscape in, it looks really nice.

“I think once people see the bike trail, the scenery in it,” he said, “they will be happy. It will make the neighborhood look really nice.”

The current $23 million contract with Silverstrand Construction includes a rebuilt hiking and biking trail along the river, as well as significant flood control work. Gauer said he expects the trail to change from its current temporary path to a permanent one in the next month or two.

Army Corps work in Yorba Linda began in the summer of 2016 under another contractor; Silverstrand’s contract begins in September 2020 and runs through July.

U.S. Army Corps spokeswoman Dena O’Dell in Los Angeles County said the Yorba Linda area project is now about 80 percent complete.

While she said she doesn’t expect the completed project to affect residents’ flood insurance rates, Shannon Widor, a spokeswoman for OC Public Works, said people outside the coverage area Mandatory can negotiate a lower price on completion, if they have flood insurance.