Habitat Preservation and Enhancement Associated with San Diego Creek Flood Control Channel Improvement

by Yen-Hsu Chen, (M.ASCE),
Ruh-Ming Li, (M.ASCE),



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: North American Water and Environment Congress & Destructive Water

Abstract:

San Diego Creek, an important regional flood control channel in southern Orange County, California, flows 2.4 kilometers through the mixed-use areas of Irvine Center (San Diego Freeway to Laguna Freeway) and Irvine Bioscience Center (Laguna Freeway to Sand Canyon Avenue). Improvement of this existing channel reach was needed to provide a 100-year flood protection level and to stabilize the channel invert and banks. A considerable amount of vegetation and riparian habitat thrives along this existing earth channel reach. Several channel improvement alternatives were developed and analyzed to maximize habitat preservation and to minimize habitat impact. Large off-channel areas were preserved, enhanced and/or created to meet regulatory requirements established by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California Department of Fish and Game, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The enhancement of the habitat areas were completed in 1990 and 1993. Today these areas sustain healthy and vigorous riparian vegetation growth which in turn support a wide range of wildlife.

Subject Headings: Floods | Channels (waterway) | Wildlife | Vegetation | Highways and roads | Channel stabilization | Rivers and streams | California | United States

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