The Riverside County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote Tuesday, Sept. 15, on a resolution declaring intent to convey a flood-control easement to Rancho California Water District for the Murrieta Creek Phase 2B project.

The board's agenda lists the easement as item 14.1. If approved, the Flood Control and Water Conservation District would adopt a resolution signaling its intent to convey an easement interest in a parcel along the creek to the water district at no cost. Both Murrieta Creek items fall in District 3, represented by Supervisor Chuck Washington.

A separate agenda item would ratify and approve a $99,000 contract amendment with Robin Gilliland Consulting, listed under Housing and Workforce Solutions. The contract runs from March 1, 2026, through Feb. 28, 2027, at up to $49,500 per year, funded entirely by the state. The "ratify and approve" language indicates the amendment may already be in effect, with the board formalizing it retroactively.

The agenda describes the contract as related to "the Murrieta Creek project," though posts on LinkedIn from the consultant reference the Murrieta Creek Trail Encampment Resolution, a homelessness outreach effort along the creek corridor. The City of Murrieta, through the Regional Homeless Alliance, previously secured a $12.6 million state grant to address homelessness along the Murrieta Creek Trail area, according to the city's FY 2025/26 accomplishments report. That program placed 69 individuals into permanent housing by the end of 2025, exceeding its goal of 64 ahead of schedule.

Phase 2B of the broader Murrieta Creek Flood Control, Environmental Restoration and Recreation Project broke ground Aug. 28, 2025. Construction is underway. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) awarded a three-year, $43.6 million construction contract to Empire Equipment Services Inc. in July 2025, Construction Equipment Guide reported.

The current construction segment runs roughly 5,000 feet from Rancho California Road to Via Montezuma, according to the City of Temecula's project page. Design of the remaining 4,000-foot segment from Via Montezuma to Winchester Road is 90% complete. When finished, the full project will provide 100-year flood protection through eight miles of channel improvements and a 270-acre flood control basin, shielding nearly 600 structures valued at $1.35 billion.

"The importance of this project isn't theoretical. Many in this community remember the floods of the early 1990s, when streets, businesses and homes near Old Town Temecula were underwater," Col. Andrew Baker, commander of the USACE Los Angeles District, said at the August 2025 groundbreaking ceremony.

The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. at the County Administrative Center, 4080 Lemon St., Riverside. Residents who want to speak must register at rivcocob.org at least 24 hours in advance and call in before 9 a.m. on the meeting date. Comments can also be emailed to [email protected].