Photo By Stephen Baack | Col. Andrew Baker, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District,...... read more read more
TEMECULA, Calif. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District joined local, state and federal partners Aug. 28 to break ground on Phase 2B of the Murrieta Creek Flood Control, Environmental Restoration and Recreation Project.
The project will increase flood protection, restore habitat and expand recreational opportunities for Riverside County communities.
“Anything is possible when we come together with a shared vision and relentless determination,” said Julianna Adams, chief of Emergency Management and Government Affairs at the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, who has worked side by side with local elected officials, congressional representatives and agency partners during the last six years of planning, design, construction and utility relocations for the project. “I look out into the crowd today, and I'm filled with deep gratitude. So many familiar faces. So many incredible partners. Thank you for being here to mark the milestone with us.”
Construction of Phase 2B was awarded in July to Empire Equipment Services Inc., under a three-year, $43.6-million contract. The scope of work includes bank protection, grade-control structures, side drain outlet improvements and scour protection, along with ecosystem restoration, native landscaping and new multi-use trails.
The Murrieta Creek project is advancing in phases. Phases 1 and 2A have already been completed, and Phase 2B builds on that work to deliver additional flood protection, ecosystem restoration and recreational benefits.
“At its core, the project is about partnership,” said Riverside County Supervisor Chuck Washington. “Riverside County Flood Control District, the Army Corps Engineers, the City of Temecula and the City of Murrieta have worked together to make today possible. And, thanks to the support of Congress, we are moving forward with an investment that will protect families, enhance recreation and preserve natural spaces.”
Washington added that Phase 2B is about building for the future.
“It’s about creating a safer, stronger, more connected community,” he said. “Whether it is protecting Old Town Temecula from flooding, expanding trails for our residents or strengthening habitat for future generations, Phase 2B represents the very best of what we can accomplish when we work together.”
When complete, the project will provide 100-year-level flood protection through eight miles of channel improvements and a 270-acre flood control basin. Nearly 600 structures valued at $1.35 billion, including the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, transportation infrastructure and sewage treatment facilities will be protected.
The project also will restore continuous habitat within the channel bottom, creating a vital corridor between the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve and the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve.
Col. Andrew Baker, commander of USACE’s Los Angeles District, emphasized that technical expertise, planning and partnership are the foundation for delivering lasting protection.
“To reach this point, it was essential to get the engineering right,” Baker said. “Technical precision is the foundation of successful delivery. Plans behind this project reflect years of expertise and coordination and partnership to ensure that we are building it right from the start and that it’s going to be a project that will last.”
Baker emphasized, however, that the project’s significance extends far beyond engineering.
“The importance of this project isn’t theoretical,” he said. “Many in this community remember the floods of the early 1990s, when streets, businesses and homes near Old Town Temecula were underwater. These events made it clear how urgent it was to reduce the risk of flood damage here, and they continue to remind us of what’s at stake.”
Rep. Ken Calvert, who represents California’s 41st Congressional District and has been involved with Murrieta Creek efforts since the 1990s, reflected on the long journey.
“You know, there was a great song that Supervisor Washington and I both remember: ‘It Never Rains in Southern California,’” Calvert said. “Until it does. And that happened in 1993. I was a congressman here back in 1993 when Temecula was overwhelmed with floodwaters … and we started on this trek to put the flood protection along Murrieta Creek. We’ve been working on it ever since.”
| Date Taken: | 08.29.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.10.2025 12:43 |
| Story ID: | 547737 |
| Location: | TEMECULA, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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