Organizational Chart

Flood Control Programs

The Flood Control Programs section is comprised of four sub-sections whose primary function is managing the County's floodplains. This section provides development support to developers and other agencies and manages the Flood Control Capital Improvement Program.

Advance Planning

• Prepares regional facilities studies and reports identifying system deficiencies and problems on OCFCD facilities and recommends solutions to provide 100-year channel capacity
  
• Reviews conceptual proposals including hydrology and hydraulic calculations for related regional flood control facilities
  
• Acts as liaison and monitors and coordinates federal interest projects within OCFCD facilities
  
• Provides support in implementing water quality features within OCFCD's facilities that are required for participants in the County’s NPDES Program
  
• Prepares cooperative agreements with private and public interests on special projects
  
• Performs County Property Permit reviews on permits affecting OCFCD facilities
  
• Negotiates A-E contract agreements with consultants for professional/engineering services and manages contracts
  
• Provides project management services on special projects
  
• Provides drainage and flood control information to other County departments for purposes of NPDES permits, annexations, incorporations, etc.

Programs

• Provides staff support to the City Engineers Flood Control Advisory Committee (CEFCAC) in identifying project priorities
  
• Provides floodplain information to residents in unincorporated Orange County
  
• Prepares preliminary engineering studies and cost estimates
  
• Prepares applications for grant funds and cooperative funding agreements
  
• Prepares flood control programs for the upcoming fiscal years and the multi year plan
  
• Monitors FEMA regulations and help administer and manage the County's floodplain program
  
• Submits Letters of Map Revision submittals to FEMA for floodplain boundary changes resulting from OCFCD's public works projects in the unincorporated regions of Orange County
  
• Reviews legislation, site plans, permit applications, use permits, environmental documentation, city originated proposals, proposed annexations, etc. for impacts to flood control facilities or floodplains
  
• Maintains Architect-Engineer (A-E) database for agency use in hiring A-Es

Development Support

• Prepares regional facilities studies and reports identifying system deficiencies and problems and recommend solutions to provide 100-year channel capacity
  
• Acts as liaison with project proponent and monitors projects
  
• Reviews Specific Plans, Feature Plans, Environmental Impact Report's (EIR) and engineering studies
  
• Prepares cooperative agreements with, private and public interests; Coordinate multi-agency projects with other divisions and entities

Hydrology

• Maintains hydrologic data for OCFCD facilities
  
• Establishes design discharges for regional flood control channels through the preparation of hydrology reports
  
• Coordinates, reviews, and approves hydrology studies and runoff management plans for regional flood control facilities prepared by private developers
  
• Provides assistance on interpretation of criteria of the Orange County Hydrology Manual and its Addendum
  
• Provides hydrologic review and support to other OC Public Works divisions, public agencies, and consultants who use the Orange County Hydrology Manual
  
• Negotiates A-E contracts for hydrology studies and reports and administers contracts when executed
  
• Reviews CEQA documents received from OC Public Works or non-County lead submittals for impacts to regional hydrology and OCFCD facilities

Flood Control Design

The goals of the Flood Control Design section align with the overall goals of OC Public Works, and more specifically to the Flood Control Division’s goals. The Design section is responsible for design and analysis of flood control capital improvement projects. Facilities that are typically included in this effort are: flood control channels, creeks, rivers, dams, retarding basins, pump stations, storm drains and other flood control infrastructure.

Design engineers are now being challenged to include multiple objectives for flood control facilities. As an example, creative water quality enhancements are now considered within each capital project, when feasible. The design of such flood control facilities has also become increasingly challenging, as the regulatory environment continues to redefine its approaches to permitting projects. Design staff work closely with the OC Public Works Regulatory Permits section to ensure proper consideration of issues that are of concern to the environmental regulators.

To ensure timely completion of projects within a defined budget, Design staff also work closely with the Project Management sub-section of the OC Public Works Construction Management Division who are charged with project managing higher priority projects. There are two major flood control pump stations and one channel system that are currently being project managed. As this sub-section gets further developed and staffed, other projects will be added to their responsibilities.

The Design section also serves a secondary function to support development within Orange County . This involvement includes reviewing/approving hydrology/hydraulic submittals, concept studies, permit applications, master plans, runoff management plans, reports, environmental documents for hydrologic/hydraulic and other flood control related policy issues.

Finally, this section has and continues to develop technical flood control expertise. This expertise is often shared with the local engineering community through staff-presented technical seminars and other presentations. This involvement in the profession has gained the County a very highly respectable position in the engineering community.

Santa Ana River Project (SARP)

The Santa Ana River Mainstem Project is the largest public works project undertaken by Orange County government. In recognition of the project size and the management complexities, the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 1989 authorized the establishment of a project management section whose responsibilities included planning support, engineering, real estate, legal, and administrative positions. Project teams were established to represent and coordinate work among all responsible organization elements within Orange County, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the other Local Sponsor organizations. Today, the SARP section is comprised of two sub-sections; Real Estate & Financial Planning and Engineering.

Real Estate & Financial Planning

• Program Management for SAR/Prado Dam Project real property acquisition (about 380 ownerships)
  
• Prepare Annual Budget requests, Long Range Financial Plans
  
• Coordinate audits with State and Federal agencies
  
• Monitor and report on project schedules/status, and expenditures
  
• Coordinate with Local, State, Federal agencies on land use, water rights, water conservation, and related issues impacting OCFCD property along SAR Mainstem

Engineering

Seven Oaks Dam

• Act as Reservoir Regulation Team at Seven Oaks Dam in San Bernardino for Water Control Operations.
  
• Coordinate maintenance issues at Seven Oaks Dam.
  
• Provide Training related to the Water Control issues and practices for backup Reservoir Regulation Team as well as Dam Tenders in San Bernardino and Orange County.
  
• Coordinate and participate in Annual Inspection of the Dam and coordinate any required repairs.
  
• Coordination regarding environmental impacts and the preparation of reports associated with mitigation for Seven Oaks Dam.
  
• Coordinate with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the development and implementation of a Multi Species Habitat Management Plan (MSHMP) for the operation of Seven Oaks Dam to ensure the continued survival of Endangered Species, such as the Woolly-star plant and the San Bernardino Kangaroo Rat.

Santa Ana River

• Coordinate between Corps, OC Public Works, and other public agencies regarding the planning, design and construction of SAR Mainstem Project features.
  
• Review and comment on encroachment and other permits affecting the Santa Ana River.
  
• Coordinate Reach 1 & 2 Dredging and Vegetation Removal Project and obtaining necessary permits with regulatory agencies.
  
• Coordination with the Corps of Engineers on Landscape Improvement Projects along the Santa Ana River.
  
• Complete the updating of the Habitat Management Plan (HMP) for the Santa Ana River Canyon (Reach 9) area, and implement the HMP via the establishment of a conservation monitoring committee that will hold regular meetings to address issues relating to ongoing O&M and recreation-related activities in the canyon, the HMP is being updated to include additional species that were listed as Endangered or threatened since the last update.
  
• Protection and/or relocation of utilities affected by the Mainstem Project.
  
• Obtain required environmental permits/clearances from resource agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish & Game, to construct flood control improvements and perform operations and maintenance (O&M) activities on flood control improvements on the Santa Ana River.

Prado Basin - Prado Dam

• Coordinate with Corps of Engineers and affected cities on the design of several earthen dikes in conjunction with the raising of Prado Dam.
  
• Coordinate with Corps of Engineers and utility owners on interfering utilities associated with the project and associated remediation. For example the Santa Ana River Interceptor project requires the design of grade stabilizers to protect the line in place, or relocation of the line North or South of the River channel.