Photo By Stephen Baack | Jason Uhley, Riverside Flood Control and Water Conservation District general manager...... read more read more
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District joined the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District May 8 for a hard hat tour of the Riverside Levees Rehabilitation Project in Riverside, California.
The tour brought together USACE leaders, project team members, local partners and stakeholders, including U.S. Rep. Mark Takano of California’s 39th Congressional District. Participants gathered on the still-active left side of the levee system, where construction is currently focused, to highlight ongoing engineering efforts and gain a clear view of the recently completed repairs on the right side.
Originally built in the 1950s to channel floodwater safely through urban areas, the two parallel levees help provide vital flood-risk management for nearby communities, including the cities of Riverside and Jurupa Valley.
INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING
After storms in 2010 and 2011 brought substantial water flows through the Santa Ana River and caused riverbank erosion and damage to portions of the levees, USACE was able to leverage its authority under Public Law 84-99 to ensure the levees were not left to degrade. Also known as the Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies Act, PL 84-99 grants USACE the ability to assist in the repair and restoration of both federal and nonfederal flood control works that have been damaged by natural disasters.
The scope of work included reinforcing and extending the existing rock slope protection to address areas where erosion had gradually worn down the levee, ensuring long-term stability and continued protection.
During construction in 2023, however, more recent storms resulted in elevated groundwater levels, creating a new challenge: the need for design revisions and additional coordination to keep the project moving forward. This made way for innovative solutions, including the addition of “launchable stones” for dynamic scour protection. The stones are designed to activate during extreme storm events, providing levee protection when traditional revetments are not always viable.
With the right levee now successfully rehabilitated, the project team has turned its full attention to the left side of the system. This final phase of work is on track to be completed this fall, marking the completion of the project.
“The Los Angeles District and the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District have overcome some huge obstacles in bringing this project to the point where construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of September,” said David Kingston, chief of the LA District’s Emergency Operations Branch. “This partnership greatly contributed to the continued support of this project at Headquarters USACE and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works).”
At the time of the construction contract award, this was the largest Public Law 84-99 Rehabilitation Project in the history of USACE, Kingston said.
The levees range in height from 15 to 22 feet and were originally designed to carry water flows of up to 195,000 cubic feet per second — well above the 100-year flood estimate of 140,000 cubic feet per second. They protect more than 4,300 structures in the area, including more than 4,000 homes and about $1.5 billion in infrastructure.
“The completion of this project will greatly enhance the flood protection of the City of Riverside and surrounding communities,” Kingston said.
CELEBRATING PARTNERSHIPS
During the tour, project subject-matter experts highlighted the ongoing work, discussed the importance of maintaining federal levee systems and recognized continued partnerships.
“The Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District has been an incredible partner for the Los Angeles District throughout this entire process and in everything we do with them,” said Col. Andrew Baker, LA District commander. “From the initial damage assessments following the 2010 and 2011 storms to the extensive design and construction phases, we achieved this milestone together. We value their collaboration and share their commitment to the Riverside community.”
Jason Uhley, general manager and chief engineer of the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, shared Baker’s sentiment.
“One of the things we’ve always appreciated about the LA District is that they lean in with the local sponsors to treat us as partners,” Uhley said. “When we partner, we’re able to get a lot more done, a lot faster, a lot cheaper — and this is really an incredible example of that. There were a lot of moving pieces that were external to the project that we also had to coordinate, and we did that exceptionally well to the benefit of our communities.”
Through continued collaboration with local sponsors and elected leaders, the LA District remains committed to delivering projects that reduce flood risk and improve the resilience of Southern California communities.
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.03.2026 18:45 |
| Story ID: | 566807 |
| Location: | RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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