Ruling Leaves Flood Project in Slow Lane

A federal agency has ruled a second time against placing a San Antonio Creek flood-control project on the fast track, a move some residents said Tuesday will probably kill the project.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decided last week that a county proposal to remove silt and debris from a more than two-mile stretch of the waterway might have more than a minimal impact on the environment.

The corps arrived at the same decision in January on the then-$1.15-million project, but the county reduced the scope in hopes of obtaining a fast-track permit to perform the work.

The county and Casitas Springs residents have characterized the proposed work as an “emergency” project, saying it is necessary to protect homes--some of which flooded during storms in the winter of 1995.

But residents Tuesday said the corps’ decision to require a lengthier permit process to determine the project’s environmental impact means the county stands to lose a $600,000 federal grant.

The government had already extended the time limit the county had to use the money through mid-February.

“[The project] is going to die,” said Bob Watson, a Casitas Springs resident who lives near the creek.

“We will most likely lose the funding that was allowing the whole thing to fly. Without that money, the county cannot afford to do it.”

The corps’ ruling means regulatory agencies will have more time to determine what effects the project will have on the waterway’s ecosystem, including any impact on a habitat for steelhead trout.

Watson said it may take months before the corps will render a final decision.