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County reports $14 million Desert Knowles Wash work underway; $9 million authorized for Tussing Basin
Summary
A county official reported construction of Desert Knowles Wash Phase 3 is underway and financed in part by member-directed federal funding. County staff also said $9 million was authorized for the Tussing/Juniper detention basin; further appropriation and environmental clearances remain before construction.
Dakota Higgins, deputy chief of staff for a county supervisor, told the council that construction is under way on Desert Knowles Wash Phase 3 and that the county has identified multiple flood-control priorities for Apple Valley.
Higgins said Phase 3 will be roughly 2,590 feet of paved channel from Apple Valley Road to the Mojave River and carries an estimated construction cost of about $14 million. Work began earlier in the year and the county expects the Phase 3 construction to be complete by June 2026, Higgins said. He described Phase 1 as the Apple Valley Road portion and Phase 2 as the segment under Highway 18, and said the county is coordinating remaining phases and property routing with affected landowners.
Higgins credited federal member-directed funding from U.S. Rep. Jay Obernolte for three consecutive $2 million annual allocations that helped accelerate the project. He noted the county’s flood control district collects only modest annual revenue — roughly $2–$3 million on a good year — and therefore large projects rely on outside appropriations.
Higgins also briefed the council on the Tussing/Juniper Basin detention project, which he said was authorized for $9 million in a federal water-resources authorization and still requires appropriations and environmental clearance. He said the basin is intended to capture storm runoff before it reaches the Apple Valley Village area and to reduce flooding south of Highway 18.
Council members thanked Higgins and asked that the county consider prioritizing areas behind Fire Station 332 and alleyways behind businesses where repeated flooding threatens infrastructure and emergency access. Higgins said those concerns would be relayed to county staff and that the county had already been working to prioritize projects raised by the council.
No council vote was required; this item was a county briefing and update on funding and schedule.
