COUNTY WILL FIX ARROYO BREACH DAM REPAIRS WILL TAKE MUCH LONGER.

Byline: Eric Leach Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY - Crews will speedily replace parts of the Arroyo Simi channel that failed in heavy October rains and which could cause flooding if not repaired.

However, efforts to clean Las Llajas Canyon Dam, which has filled to 37 percent of capacity with debris since last year's fires and could overflow in winter storms, will take longer.

Flood control officials this past week pressed Ventura County supervisors for a green light on both projects.

``On the Arroyo Simi project, it's essential that we get in there and do it soon,'' said Jeff Pratt, director of the Ventura County Watershed Protection District.

Three grade stabilizers designed to prevent flooding along the arroyo between Erringer Road and Royal Avenue in the middle of Simi Valley failed in the October rains, Platt said.

Repairs are urgent because a large storm could cause more stabilizers and rock slope protection along the arroyo to fail, he said. Such failures could allow water to flow onto private property and undermine support of bridges over the arroyo, threatening businesses and residents.

``We'd like to get it done before the end of the year. We can have a contractor out there in potentially two weeks.''

Supervisors agreed the situation was an emergency and set aside $1.09 million to pay for the stabilizers that serve to reduce the speed of the flowing water and prevent erosion.

Progress is slower on the cleanup of the Las Llajas Canyon Dam just north of the Simi Hills Golf Course.

Pratt said the 2003 fires burned the entire Las Llajas Canyon watershed and last winter's storms deposited debris, taking up more than a third of the dam's capacity.

Flood control officials sought county authorization to remove the debris over the next 10 months at a cost of around $2.25 million. Supervisors postponed a decision until Nov. 23 after Moorpark city officials and others raised concerns about traffic from trucks carrying out the debris.

In a letter to supervisors, Moorpark City Manager Steven Kueny noted that major construction is under way along Los Angeles Avenue and should be completed in the next couple of months.

Dave Bobardt, planning manager for Moorpark, said the city supports the Watershed Protection District's flood control efforts.

``Our big concern, though, is adding additional truck traffic to new Los Angeles Avenue, which is already used by 4,000 to 5,000 trucks a day,'' he said.

Pratt said if the debris is not removed and causes the dam to overflow, it could flood homes in Simi Valley, so officials plan to remove sand as soon as possible and haul it off to the side.

``We want to get it down to 25 percent or less debris before we get any storms this year. We can do that quickly by moving the sand to the side.''

There are approximately 166,000 cubic yards of debris that will be removed from behind the dam, and this could amount to 12,000 truckloads, Pratt said.

Eric Leach, [phone]

eric.leach(at)dailynews.com