Crews Shore Up McCoy Creek With Boulders and Sandbags

The California Conservation Corps and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works bolstered the banks of the swollen McCoy Creek over the long weekend, cleaning up from past storms and preparing for future ones.

Crews used boulders--from bowling-ball size to several tons--and about 3,800 sandbags to brace the Calabasas Swim and Tennis Club parking lot, which had eroded in three places--measuring about 24 parking spaces wide--from recent rains.

“I cannot remember anything like this before,” crew supervisor Bob Yearwood said.

Workers also strengthened the embankment Monday near Old Town’s Fins restaurant, which was threatened by water rising up to 12 feet Saturday about the time servers were preparing a patio tent for a busy Valentine’s dinner crowd.

If the rains would have continued Saturday, “I have no doubt that this restaurant would have lost its balcony and some of its foundation,” Yearwood said. But according to restaurant manager Tracey Gilmore, romantic dinners went off without a hitch--only a leaking tent slightly dampened the festivities.

Work along the creek is expected to be completed today when willow seedlings are planted at both locations. The cost for shoring up the creek was not immediately known.

“Barring an extreme amount of rain,” Yearwood said, “we should be OK for a while. It’s a waiting game.”