MOORPARK : EIR on Widening of Channel Approved
An environmental impact report on a massive widening project planned for the Arroyo Simi Flood Control Channel in Moorpark has been approved, clearing the way for the first phase of the $6-million project to begin next spring.
The Board of Supervisors approved the environmental report at its meeting this week.
The report found that the improvement project would not cause any significant environmental damage to the surrounding area and would actually create 11 additional acres of wetland, said Ed Gunen, a county public works engineer.
The project calls for widening a three-mile-long section of the channel and replacing a 16,000-foot section of its concrete lining to guard against floods. The improvements would enable the part of the channel between Hitch Boulevard and Spring Road to withstand a once-in-a-century storm.
The project would also help reduce annual maintenance costs along the channel, while at the same time protect against erosion of its banks, according the environmental report.
The first phase of the project, which could take six years to complete, is expected to begin within the next six months, Gunen said.
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