County flood district says Riverside levee work will resume early 2026 after redesign and $22M in funding

Jason Yulee, general manager of the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, told the City Council on Oct. 28 that construction on the Riverside side of the Santa Ana River levee project will restart in early 2026 after design changes and new funding.

Yulee said the original levees, built in the 1950s, protect about 4,000 homes and roughly $1.5 billion in local infrastructure. He told the council the project began in 2022 but wet conditions and higher groundwater in recent years forced a redesign and caused a roughly $22 million funding shortfall that the district and partners have now filled.

"The Riverside side of the Levees project is going to start construction in early 2026," Yulee said. He added that contractors are on site performing pre-construction work and warned that heavy construction equipment will operate on top of the levee, requiring detours of the Santa Ana River Trail from the 60 Freeway to Market Street and from Columbia to the county line.

The district said it coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a revised construction approach intended to improve resilience to climate impacts. Yulee also said the district will send finalized detour maps to the city's Public Works and Parks departments for public messaging.

The presentation was given during the public-comment portion of the council meeting; no formal council action was required on the update. Council members thanked the district for securing funding and for the update.

Next steps for the project include finalizing trail detours, continuing coordination with federal and local partners, and posting construction notices once schedules are set.