Winter storms brought tons of sediment and debris into the San Gabriel Reservoir following the 2024 Bridge Fire (Photo – County Public Works)
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved the issuance of up to $300 million in revenue bonds to fund major flood control and water conservation improvements at the San Gabriel Reservoir, including restoration work tied to damage from the 2024 Bridge Fire.
By News Desk
The നടപടി authorizes the Los Angeles County Public Works Financing Authority to issue the bonds in multiple series. The first series, capped at $100 million in principal, is expected to generate approximately $100.2 million in proceeds. Those funds will support the final year of the San Gabriel Reservoir Post-Fire Emergency Restoration Project Part 2 in 2026 and initiate the San Gabriel Reservoir Restoration Project (Bridge Fire) in 2027.
The Bridge Fire, which burned from September through November 2024, scorched more than 56,000 acres across the San Gabriel Mountains, including nearly 38,000 acres within the watershed that feeds the reservoir. According to Public Works, the fire significantly increased the risk of debris flows, adding an estimated 6.6 million cubic yards of sediment that could wash into the reservoir.
Officials warn that such a volume could bury the dam’s intake structures, disable outlet systems, and lead to uncontrolled spillway flows, posing serious flood threats to downstream communities.
Total construction costs for the restoration and sediment removal projects are estimated at $243 million. The Flood Control District plans to remove up to 6.6 million cubic yards of sediment between 2026 and 2032.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger emphasized the urgency of the effort, noting that delaying action could worsen risks to both infrastructure and public safety.
“When a disaster like the Bridge Fire scars tens of thousands of acres above one of our most critical flood control and water conservation facilities, we cannot afford to wait,” Barger said. “Bond financing is one of the most powerful tools we have to move quickly and responsibly.”
The bonds will be repaid using the Flood Control District’s share of property taxes, flood benefit assessments, and statutory pass-through revenues.
The San Gabriel Dam, built in 1939, plays a key role in regional flood protection, groundwater recharge, and hydroelectric generation. In recent years, the district has already spent $159.5 million on sediment removal following the 2020 Bobcat Fire. With those funds now exhausted, officials say bond financing is necessary to continue and expand restoration efforts.
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