OCEANSIDE — With congressional approval, the federal government is moving forward with a $26 million flood control project for the San Luis Rey River.
The project will increase flood protection for Oceanside residents by repairing the river’s levee system and removing sediment from the river channel.
Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, who helped advance the funding in the U.S. House of Representatives, noted the project was long overdue for the region. The House recently passed a government funding package that included $26 million for the project.
“For too long, Oceanside’s flood protection system has been unable to adequately protect residents, businesses, and infrastructure,” Levin said in a Jan. 8 announcement. “This funding will start to make much needed improvements.”
In addition to mitigating flood risks, the sediment removed from the river can be used to replenish sand on nearby beaches, another ongoing concern for Oceanside residents.
Levin said the project will “upgrade the system, fix the levees, and provide much needed flood protection that will mitigate risk to nearby residents.”
“I look forward to this funding coming to our community and making a real difference,” he said.
The project was first authorized in 1970 to provide a 250-year level of flood protection. However, challenges along the way halted construction several times and increased the project’s costs over time. These delays hindered critical levee repairs and sediment removal.
The river’s flood protection is currently at a 70-year level, far below its originally intended 250-year goal.
The new funding will also be used for continued geotechnical analyses, environmental coordination, hydrology updates, hydraulic analysis, and monitoring of water quality and local species.
The government funding package now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to pass. The president must then sign final approval.
