Directors from flood-risk management agencies representing seven Southern California counties met for the Seven County Flood Control Directors meeting on January 31 at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District headquarters in downtown LA.
Discussions included an overview of some of the Corps’ planning, studies and programs, as well as the Corps’ availability during flood fights, status of the Levee Safety program and Clean Water Act Section 408 and Section 404 permit updates.
Representatives from the seven counties – Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Orange, Riverside, Ventura, San Diego and San Bernadino, along with Corps and the National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies – NAFSMA – were present.
James Tyler, manager of Flood Programs for Orange County Public Works, Santa Ana, California , said that the meeting was beneficial, in terms of sharing information and collaborating.
“There’s a lot of information they go over in the meeting. It’s good to hear that, ” Tyler said. “I work with San Bernadino and Riverside counties a lot because we share common projects. Santa Ana River Mainstem is a big project we have been working on for years. We have a working relationship with the Corps and (our counties), but not as much with the other counties, so it’s good to interact with them as well.”
LeAnn Carmichael, program manager with the Environmental Services Unit for San Diego County, added that the meeting allowed her to interact and become more familiar with key Corps’ employees who have direct insight into policy development and setting the agency’s office priorities, like the chiefs of regulatory, planning and engineering.