City reaches deep to sustain dredging

With an additional $4 million of state and federal funding in the pipeline, government officials have managed to cobble together enough funding to keep dredging in Upper Newport Bay going until at least January.

“We’re scratching and scrimping, looking around at even small sources of funding, Newport Beach Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff said.

City officials estimate about $16 million is needed to complete the project.

“This extra money will help chip away at that, but there is still quite a bit of work to do,” said Chris Miller, Newport Beach Harbor Resources manager.

The California Wildlife Conservation Board is expected to approve a $2-million grant next week to fund the project. Congress also approved an additional $2 million to keep the project going in October.

City officials estimate that it could cost an additional $1.5 million in set-up and tear-down costs if funding for the project runs dry and the contractor has to leave the work site.

Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) has asked Congress to approve $12.3 million this fiscal year for dredging Upper Newport Bay.

Kiff is hopeful a federal economic stimulus package also will include money for the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the dredging project. The Army Corps could put stimulus money into some of its ongoing projects, such as the dredging.

“By putting these bits and pieces together, we hope we can get enough to finish the project,” said Susan Brodeur, senior coastal engineer for the County of Orange.

About 200 species of birds use the wetlands of Upper Newport Bay during the year, according to wildlife experts. Sediment and pollutants from the San Diego Creek and other sources drain into the bay, and the estuary needs to be periodically dredged to keep it from silting up.

Newport Beach hired the prominent Washington D.C.-based lobbyist group Van Scoyoc Associates to lobby for federal funding in March.

BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at brianna.bailey@latimes.com.