By SDCN Staff
WASHINGTON–Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla announced Wednesday that they secured $26 million in federal funding for the San Luis Rey River Flood Risk Reduction Project in Oceanside.
The funding will support repairs to the San Luis Rey River levee system and the removal of sediment and sand from the river channel to strengthen flood protection for the community. The allocation is part of $254,457,366 in Congressionally Directed Spending secured for California in the 2026 fiscal year through recently passed federal funding legislation.
Schiff said the investment will address longstanding vulnerabilities in Oceanside’s flood control infrastructure.
“For decades, the Oceanside community has been at the mercy of aging flood protection systems that threaten residents, the local economy, and infrastructure in the region,” Schiff said.
He added that the federal dollars will help mitigate flood risks along the river.
Padilla said the project is critical to protecting homes, schools, and businesses from potential flooding.
“After years of project delays, this surge in bipartisan federal funding Senator Schiff and I fought for will make critical levee repairs and remove dangerous sediment buildup to mitigate flood risk for vulnerable Oceanside communities,” Padilla said.
The San Luis Rey River Flood Risk Reduction Project was originally authorized in 1970 to provide a 250-year level of flood protection. Construction delays over several decades increased costs and reduced the system’s level of protection to an estimated 70-year level, according to officials.
Rep. Mike Levin said the funding will begin long-needed improvements to the flood protection system, including levee upgrades aimed at reducing risk to nearby residents and infrastructure.
“This funding will start to make much-needed improvements. It will begin the work to upgrade the system, fix the levees, and provide much-needed flood protection that will mitigate risk to nearby residents,” Levin said.
Oceanside Mayor Esther Sanchez thanked the senators for including the funding in the appropriations bill, calling it a long-overdue investment. Sanchez said the project will allow the United States Army Corps of Engineers to move forward with strengthening levees, removing sediment for potential beach sand replenishment, and restoring reliable flood and fire protection.
“This long-overdue investment will finally allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move forward in completing the project, including strengthening levees, removing sediment that can be used toward sand replenishment on our starved beaches, and restore reliable flood and fire protection for our residents and businesses,” Sanchez said.
The funding will go toward geotechnical investigations, levee repairs, and sediment removal aimed at restoring a higher level of flood protection for the Oceanside community.
