Calabasas creek restoration wins award




PRINCIPAL PLAYERS—From left, Alex Farassati,Calabasas environmental services director; Will Kempton, Caltrans director; Robert Yalda, Calabasas public works director; and Hector Bordas, Los Angeles County chief engineer and chair of the American Society of Civil Engineers awards committee, attend a recognition ceremony for the Las Virgenes Creek restoration project.

PRINCIPAL PLAYERS—From left, Alex Farassati,Calabasas environmental services director; Will Kempton, Caltrans director; Robert Yalda, Calabasas public works director; and Hector Bordas, Los Angeles County chief engineer and chair of the American Society of Civil Engineers awards committee, attend a recognition ceremony for the Las Virgenes Creek restoration project.


Calabasas received an award for the engineering involved in the city’s recent Las Virgenes Creek restoration.

The project was recognized during the annual meeting and banquet of the local branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers on Sept. 18 in Los Angeles. The 2008 ASCE Metro Los Angeles Branch winners included honors for engineers, advisers and various engineering projects.

The Las Virgenes Creek Restoration Project was awarded the outstanding government civil engineering project.

After more than seven months of restoration and construction, the city of Calabasas reopened Las Virgenes Creek in February.

Hector Bordas, chair of the ASCE awards committee, said the project was awarded for “exhibiting innovative ideas.”

“The once concrete-lined channel was completely restored to a more natural system,” Bordas said. “The creek is an important component of the Malibu Creek Watershed and is representative of how future channels should be restored to more viable riparian habitats while maintaining flood control standards.”

The $1.24-million project included the removal of more than 1,500 tons of concrete and other non-native material from a portion of the creek between Highway 101 and the Agoura Road bridge. Native vegetation was planted where litter used to accumulate on concrete, and a walkway and gazebo were built along the creek’s bank.

Robert Yalda, public works director of Calabasas, said he was pleased with the award.

“I cannot (describe) how proud I am of the outcome of this unique project,” Yalda said. “This is civil engineering at its best, and it’s no wonder that it is winning awards.”

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