House approves $26 million for San Luis Rey River project in Oceanside

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a government funding package that includes the allocation of $26 million for long overdue work on the San Luis Rey River flood-control project in Oceanside.

The money will be spent to improve flood protection for Oceanside residents by repairing the San Luis Rey River levee system and removing sediment that has accumulated in the river channel, said Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, in a news release Thursday.

Any beach quality sand excavated from the channel will be placed on the city’s eroding beaches south of the municipal pier.

The funding package now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to pass, and it will then need to be signed by the president.

“For too long, Oceanside’s flood protection system has been unable to adequately protect residents, businesses, and infrastructure,” Levin said in a news release Thursday.

The funding “will begin the work to upgrade the system, fix the levees, and provide much-needed flood protection that will mitigate risk to nearby residents,” he said. “I look forward to this funding coming to our community and making a real difference.”

The so-called San Luis Rey River Project Flood Risk Reduction Project was authorized by Congress in 1970 with the intention of providing a 250-year level of flood protection.

However, challenges have halted construction several times over the years, delaying completion and increasing costs. The levees...