River dredge finished

Corps of Engineers is cleaning up Santa Ana River project that was delayed by storms and various other obstacles.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to wrap up the lower Santa Ana River project. The work, which was intended to reduce the danger of flooding around the river, was delayed by winter storms and environmental protections afforded to a species of small birds.

“It didn’t finish on its timeline, but last year, if you remember, was a tough year,” Newport Beach assistant city manager Dave Kiff said.

The Corps of Engineers notified Newport officials of plans to finish the project on Thursday.

Work on the project started last November, and planners initially expected to finish dredging by the middle of March. Corps of Engineers project manager Ken Morris said that aside from the delay, the dredging work succeeded in digging the river channel to the necessary depth for flood control purposes.

Morris said the Corps of Engineers has yet to receive a final report from the dredging contractors, Santa Ana-based CJW Construction. Morris said a meeting is planned for Monday to walk along the project area and find out if there is any touch-up work that needs to be done.

The project hit a snag in February when the 167-foot dredging boat Eland ran aground on a sandbar near West Newport. That same month, a pipeline used to carry dredged sands was damaged and heavy flows caused by winter storms led officials postpone work.

The Eland ran aground a second time in March. Then, a Corps of Engineers spokesman predicted the project would not be finished until November.

The spokesman said the Eland’s accidents were not the primary source of delays. He said the storms and a prohibition on conducting dredge work near least tern habitats during the birds’ nesting season were the cause of the wait.

Bird-related concerns prevented dredging near the river mouth during the least terns’ nesting season. Workers were allowed to use land-based equipment to clear out sediment between West Coast Highway and Adams Avenue.

Morris said workers were cleaning up the project area Friday.

* ANDREW EDWARDS covers business and the environment. He can be reached at (714) 966-4624 or by e-mail at [email protected].