California Construction News staff writer
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District and local partners have broken ground on Phase 2B of the Murrieta Creek Flood Control, Environmental Restoration and Recreation Project.
The $43.6-million contract, awarded in July to Empire Equipment Services Inc., will add new flood protection measures, habitat restoration, and recreational amenities for Riverside County communities. Work will include bank protection, grade-control structures, side drain outlet improvements, scour protection, native landscaping, and multi-use trails. Construction is expected to take three years.
Murrieta Creek improvements are being delivered in phases. Phases 1 and 2A are complete, and Phase 2B will extend flood protection and restore ecosystems while adding public access. Once fully built out, the project will provide 100-year flood protection along eight miles of creek channel and a 270-acre flood control basin. Nearly 600 structures valued at $1.35 billion — including Camp Pendleton, transportation corridors, and sewage treatment facilities — will be safeguarded.
Officials emphasized the project’s dual focus on engineering and community protection.
“To reach this point, it was essential to get the engineering right,” said Col. Andrew Baker, commander of the Army Corps’ Los Angeles District. “Plans reflect years of expertise, coordination, and partnership to ensure this project is built to last.”
The project also aims to reestablish habitat corridors connecting the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve and the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve.
Riverside County Supervisor Chuck Washington called the investment “about building for the future,” noting that the work will reduce flood risks in Old Town Temecula while creating new trails and preserving natural spaces.
Rep. Ken Calvert, who has supported the project since the 1990s, recalled the 1993 flood that overwhelmed the region.
“This is about protecting families, infrastructure, and businesses while enhancing recreation and the environment,” Washington said.
