County Projects to Bolster Flood Control

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works will undertake several San Fernando Valley-area improvement projects this week.

The projects will benefit a varied number of structures, including the Pacoima Dam spillway, various flood control channels, and storm and street drains throughout the Valley, said county Supervisor Mike Antonovich in a written statement.

The dam’s renovation plans will cost $462,000 and include a new helicopter landing pad for flood control personnel to reach the top of the dam in emergencies such as earthquakes.

The Pacoima project will run August through November.

A second project, estimated to cost $210,000, will repair flood control channels, storm drains and street drains in Agoura Hills, Burbank, Calabasas, Santa Clarita, the northwest San Fernando Valley, Stevenson Ranch, Canyon Country and Valencia.

Officials said the work may disrupt traffic in some areas from August through October.

Much of the damage to the drains and channels stems from the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and the Public Works Department is seeking reimbursement for a portion of the cost under the Federal and State Disaster Assistance Programs.

In one project costing $451,000, the county will install swift-water rescue anchor bolts along portions of Los Angeles County’s flood channels, including the Los Angeles River and the Verdugo Basin Wash, to increase safety for rescuers and improve chances of rescuing people trapped by heavy storm flows.

Reflective pavement markers and painted yellow circles are intended to help rescuers locate the bolt sites.

The work is expected to be completed in September, before the next storm season.