Santa Ana Marsh Dredging Project Extended

The Santa Ana River Dredging Project is being extended through the end of the month, following a late start by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a city memo announced Tuesday.

The project, which will restore design channel depths to improve circulation and tidal flushing needed to maintain the salt marsh habitat and its many  endangered species, was slated to be completed by mid-March but the work will not be finished until March 31.

According to the city memo, the corps will work extended hours, weekends and deploy extra crew members to get the project done.

The project also includes beach sand replenishment. City officials say the California least tern island within the Santa Ana River Marsh will also be cleared of weedy vegetation to help improve the nesting habitat of this endangered species.

"This project is being pushed for completion in order to preserve local bird's nesting season," city officials said in a memo.

Newport Beach officials and the corps insisted on an extension to complete the project instead of having to demobilize and start the project back up again in August.

The 92-acre salt marsh restoration is located near the mouth of the Santa Ana River in Newport Beach, just upstream of Pacific Coast Highway and east of the Greenville-Banning Channel levee.