VIDEO: Cost Estimate for Flood Control Upgrades in Redlands: $70M to $80M

At the end of a three-hour special meeting of the city budget/audit advisory committee in May, Redlands Councilmember Pat Gilbreath and City Manager Enrique Martinez said one of the city's primary "unmet needs" is flood control.

Fred Mousavipour, director of municipal utilities and public works engineering for Redlands, expanded on city concerns Wednesday June 26.

The city's current flood infrastructure is inadequate and falls far short of 100-year flood protection, Mousavipour said.

Desired upgrades include a new basin at Opal and Citrus, to protect against runoff from Crafton Hills, and a downtown storm drain known as the Zanja Bypass, to handle runoff from the hills in south Redlands.

Estimated costs for the upgrades range from $70 million to $80 million, Mousavipour said.

A 100-year flood has a 1 percent chance of occurring each year, Mousavipour said.

Such an event in the Redlands area could be devastating for downtown Redlands, Mousavipour said, emphasizing current 100-year flood estimates and upgrade needs are in the process of being verified by consultants.

Mousavipour also underscored that Seven Oaks Dam at the mouth of Santa Ana Canyon in Highland was built to protect Orange County, not Redlands.