The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors yesterday approved the issuance of up to $300 million in revenue bonds to finance critical flood control and water conservation infrastructure at the San Gabriel Reservoir, including restoration work directly tied to damage caused by the 2024 Bridge Fire.
The Board approved the request from LA County Public Works, authorizing the Los Angeles County Public Works Financing Authority to issue the bonds in multiple series.
The first series will not exceed $100 million in principal and will generate approximately $100.2 million in total proceeds. Those funds will be used to complete the final year of the San Gabriel Reservoir Post-Fire Emergency Restoration Project Part 2 in 2026, and to begin the San Gabriel Reservoir Restoration Project (Bridge Fire) in 2027.
The Bridge Fire, which burned between September and November 2024, scorched more than 56,000 acres in and around the San Gabriel Mountains, including roughly 37,940 acres of the watershed that feeds into the reservoir. Public Works estimates the fire dramatically increased the potential for debris flows into the reservoir by an additional 6.6 million cubic yards of sediment. This volume could bury the dam’s intakes, disable its outlet works, and trigger uncontrolled spillway flows posing serious flood risks to communities downstream.
Total construction costs for the two projects are estimated at $243 million. The District anticipates removing up to 6.6 million cubic yards of sediment between 2026 and 2032. The bonds will be secured by the Flood Control District’s share of property taxes, flood benefit assessments, and statutory pass-through amounts.
“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,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose Fifth District encompasses many San Gabriel Valley foothill communities downstream of the dam. “Bond financing is one of the most powerful tools we have to move quickly and responsibly. It allows us to secure the revenue needed to fund large-scale infrastructure projects like this one right now, rather than delaying action while sediment continues to threaten our reservoir capacity, our water supply, and the safety of the communities we serve. Our Board’s action will protect lives and preserve this vital regional asset.”
The San Gabriel Dam, constructed in 1939 and operated by the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, serves multiple purposes including flood protection, groundwater recharge, and hydroelectric generation. To date, the District has spent $159.5 million on sediment removal in response to the 2020 Bobcat Fire alone. With committed fund balances now fully expended, bond financing provides the mechanism to continue and expand that work.