FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Oct. 29, 2002 -- Orange County Water District (OCWD) recently received a letter of commitment along with a check from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for mitigation the Corps must provide to offset impacts associated with the latest phase of the Santa Ana River flood control project, including raising of Prado Dam in Riverside, Calif.
The first check of $90,000 has already been received by OCWD, and the Corps plans to transfer money, annually, to OCWD over the next seven years as project impacts occur.
Initially funds will go toward wildlife management that will help the recovery of the least Bell's vireo -- an endangered California songbird -- in the project area. During the next several years, additional funding will pay for the implementation of the Santa Ana River watershed restoration program. A primary component of the program is control of a non-native plant species, Arundo donax.
"Because keeping Arundo out of the watershed areas is a long-term commitment for OCWD, this commitment by the Corps will help ensure consistent activities to restore the native habitat while freeing up valuable water supplies," said Jerry A. King, president of the OCWD board of directors.
The long-term restoration program will involve removal of Arundo donax and replacement with native plants to enhance the habitat in the area. Arundo donax is an extremely invasive plant that uses about 5.6 acre-feet of water per acre of Arundo each year.
Native habitat consumes much less water at about 1.9 acre-feet per year. An acre-foot is enough water for two small families for one year. There are 10,000 acres of Arundo in the Santa Ana River watershed today. The net water yield per acre of Arundo removed is 3.7-5.6 acre-feet.
Earlier this year, OCWD received $9 million in funding through the Proposition 13 California Water Bond for ongoing watershed restoration. These funds are earmarked for the removal of approximately 1,125 acres of Arundo, resulting in a minimum water yield of 4,050 acre-feet annually.
Because Arundo is so invasive, it may reinvade, even after removal. Keeping Arundo from returning requires retreatment of removal areas for many years. The money from the Corps project will allow OCWD to continue to keep Arundo out of the removal areas for years to come.
OCWD manages the Santa Ana River Watershed Conservation Trust Fund, established in 1997 to receive funds for implementing the watershed restoration program. Partners in the program with OCWD include U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Game and the Resource Conservation Districts along the river, among other partners. OCWD and its partners are pleased to welcome the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a new strategic partner in this important effort.
Orange County Water District is a special agency created by the California State Legislature in 1933 to maintain and manage the groundwater basin under northern and central Orange County. OCWD's groundwater basin supplies 75% of the water needs to more than 2 million residents in Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Newport Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster, and Yorba Linda.
Source: Orange County Water District
