HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District and the Orange County Flood Control District completed flood channel repairs before Southern California’s flood season.
The agencies hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to highlight the completion of repair work on Ocean View Channel, Dec. 20, in Huntington Beach, California.
Ocean View Channel was constructed by the Orange County Flood Control District in 1962. The entire channel extends about four miles and provides critical flood-risk management for residents and businesses along its stretch – from Fountain Valley to Huntington Beach.
“The repair work on Ocean View Channel is a great example of the cooperation and partnership between the Orange County Flood Control District, the Corps and its contracting partners,” said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District Commander Col. Aaron Barta.
In 2010, about a half-a-mile of the channel was heavily damaged during a flood event. If the channel was not repaired, another significant storm in this area could have caused more than $6 million in property damage.
“I want to thank our Orange County Public Works department who works constantly to ensure this line of defense in fighting floods is in top shape,” said Orange County Board Supervisor Vice Chair Michelle Steel. “I’m looking forward to other upcoming projects where we partner with our friends at the Army Corps of Engineers to reduce the risk of flooding in our communities.”
The reconstruction of the channel qualified for repair under the Corps’ Public Law 84-99 Rehabilitation Program, which gives the Corps the authority to repair flood control structures that are damaged due to flood and other natural events.
Under the program, projects are restored back to their original design; however, design standards have changed since the 1960s – now requiring a reinforced concrete design.
“Critical projects like this are completed by building strong partnerships and investing time and resources to ensure it continues to perform for the next 50 years,” Barta said.
Orange County and the Corps signed an 80 percent federal/20 percent non-federal cost-share agreement in 2016 and construction of the channel began in 2018. Total cost of the project was more than $3.5 million.