Board of Supervisors OKs Spending $23 Million for Drains, Flood Channels

In preparation for that ever-elusive rainstorm, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved spending up to $23 million for new flood channels and drains, most of them in the San Fernando and Antelope valleys.

The largest project is construction of an $8.2-million concrete-lined channel in the earthen watercourse that now meanders through Sepulveda. Most of the other projects involve installing or replacing underground flood drains.

Although California is in its fifth year of drought, the county Public Works Department continues to methodically improve the county drainage system as money becomes available through a flood fund financed by property taxes, said department spokeswoman Jean Granucci.

“You’ve got to be prepared. You never know when that big flood will come,” Granucci said.

Private contractors must submit bids for the various projects by mid-June, she said, and work will begin in August on some of the segments, including the Sepulveda channel.

The Sepulveda channel is part of the Pacoima Wash, a natural waterway that cuts through the northeast Valley. The section scheduled for lining this year travels several miles behind houses and schools, beginning at Parthenia Street and continuing along Kester and Cedros avenues.

In addition to improving the flow of water during a flood, the concrete lining will make it easier for county workers to repair and clean the channel, Granucci said. Access ramps will be added at several locations, she said.

In Sunland, flood pipes will be installed along Sunland Boulevard, Wheatland Avenue and Foothill Boulevard at a cost of up to $5.8 million. Granucci said those projects will involve extensive roadwork and some rerouting of traffic between September and April.

Flood-control projects planned for the Antelope Valley include underground pipes along Elizabeth Lake Road near Lake Hughes, along Avenue S at Sierra Highway near Palmdale and along 240th Street East near Lake Los Angeles.