Orange County Group

Santiago Creek before it gets “improved”

East from Baker Street Footbridge (Santa Ana, March 2023) Credit: Les Hall

Since we last wrote about OC’s longest creek in May 2023, the plans of the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for a section of the creek were discussed at an In-Person Public Meeting for the Santiago Creek Flood Risk Management Project in Santa Ana on November 6, 2023.  Previous meetings occurred on January 26 and May 3 where the USACE’s plan was generally opposed by the audience.  Congressman Lou Correa expressed his misgivings about this project in a letter to Jessie Lopez on March 29, 2023.

At this most recent meeting officials, including congressman Lou Correa, OC Supervisor Vicente, Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Jessie Lopez, and members of the general public remained critical of the USACE’s outdated approach to flood risk reduction on Santiago Creek, which does not address habitat conservation or stormwater capture.  These are important considerations that the USACE is observing in its work along the Los Angeles River, and they must be included in any work along Santiago Creek, too. 

While we wait for a response from the Army Corps of Engineers to the comments made at the November 6 meeting and to hundreds of letters that it has received, an article written by Les Hall in the Voice of OC about Santiago Creek is required reading for anyone interested in maintaining and improving natural habitats and stormwater replenishment in our county.