Congress allots $5 million for Back Bay work

A promised $5-million chunk of funding for the Upper Newport Bay dredging project finally came through Wednesday, after nearly falling victim to congressional squabbles.

Officials have struggled for several years to get money for the $38-million dredging and restoration project, which began in February 2006. Sediment is constantly filling in the shallow bay, so dredging is necessary about every 20 years for it to remain an estuary.

The latest funding came from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Federal appropriations bills for 2007 were supposed to include $5 million for the dredging, but after Congress failed to agree on the bills, Newport Beach Rep. John Campbell and Fullerton Rep. Ed Royce lobbied the corps for the money instead.

“We urged them to take some of their surplus funds and said this would be a good use for it,” Campbell said. “It means the restoration of the Back Bay will happen quicker.”

Aside from hiccups such as the need to change dredging equipment in September, the project has gone well, Orange County senior coastal engineer Susan Brodeur said.

“They’re hoping to make up additional time by having two dredges operating on the project,” she said.

The project, which includes the dredging of 2.3 million cubic yards of sediment, should be finished in 2008, Brodeur said. Officials will seek the $14.5 million needed to complete the work in the 2008 federal budget, but they have typically received less than requested.