The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Los Angeles District and its local, state and federal partners broke ground on Aug. 28, 2025, on Phase 2B of the Murrieta Creek Flood Control, Environmental Restoration and Recreation Project, according to USACE.
The project is designed to increase flood protection, restore habitat and expand recreational opportunities for Riverside County communities.
"Anything is possible when we come together with a shared vision and relentless determination," said Julianna Adams, chief of Emergency Management and Government Affairs at the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, who has worked for six years on the planning, design, construction and utility relocations for the project. "I look out into the crowd today, and I'm filled with deep gratitude. So many familiar faces. So many incredible partners. Thank you for being here to mark the milestone with us."
Phase 2B construction was awarded in July to Empire Equipment Services Inc. through a three-year, $43.6 million contract.
The project scope includes bank protection, grade-control structures, side drain outlet improvements and scour protection, as well as ecosystem restoration, native landscaping and new multi-use trails, according to USACE,
The Murrieta Creek project is being completed in phases. Two prior phases are complete and Phase 2B builds on that to deliver additional flood protection, ecosystem restoration and recreational benefits, according to USACE.
Riverside County Supervisor Chuck Washington said that Phase 2B is about building for the future.
"It's about creating a safer, stronger, more connected community," he said. "Whether it is protecting Old Town Temecula from flooding, expanding trails for our residents or strengthening habitat for future generations, Phase 2B represents the very best of what we can accomplish when we work together."
The completed project will provide 100-year-level flood protection through 8 mi. of channel improvements and a 270-acre flood control basin, according to USACE. Nearly 600 structures valued at $1.35 billion, including the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, transportation infrastructure and sewage treatment facilities, will be protected.
The project also will restore continuous habitat within the channel bottom. That will create a corridor between the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve and the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve.
Col. Andrew Baker, commander of USACE's Los Angeles District, said that technical expertise, combined with planning and partnership, provide the foundation for lasting protection, according to USACE.
"To reach this point, it was essential to get the engineering right," Baker said. "Technical precision is the foundation of successful delivery. Plans behind this project reflect years of expertise and coordination and partnership to ensure that we are building it right from the start and that it's going to be a project that will last."
Baker said the project's significance extends well beyond the engineering, according to USACE.
"The importance of this project isn't theoretical," he said. "Many in this community remember the floods of the early 1990s, when streets, businesses and homes near Old Town Temecula were underwater. These events made it clear how urgent it was to reduce the risk of flood damage here, and they continue to remind us of what's at stake."
