Supervisors Abandon Flood-Control Project

Months of debate over a controversial flood-control project came to an end Tuesday, as county supervisors rescinded approval of an ill-fated plan to realign a stretch of San Antonio Creek near Casitas Springs.

The decision Tuesday means Ventura County no longer qualifies for a $605,000 federal grant that would have paid for more than half of the project designed to protect local property owners from flooding. Environmentalists hailed Tuesday’s action as a means of protecting wildlife habitat in the Ventura River watershed.

“I’m pleased that this is going to be settled,” Carla Bard said. “Ventura County public works has been running roughshod over rivers, creeks and other resources.”

But supervisors were not so sure, voting to rescind the project only after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers twice ruled that the board’s action last November declaring the project exempt from environmental review was questionable.

“To see a problem simply not get solved is one of the reasons I don’t want to do this anymore,” said Supervisor Maggie Kildee, who announced last year that she would not seek another term on the board.

The county applied for and received a $605,000 grant after President Clinton declared a state of emergency following the 1995 floods.

Several permitting agencies, however, questioned the validity of the emergency declaration approved by supervisors. Public works officials said a complete environmental review would cost too much.