Posted on December 15, 2025
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — A team with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District and multiple county and city agencies joined forces Dec. 10 to clear debris from homeless encampments in the lower Santa Ana River Marsh, a sensitive habitat that supports several threatened and endangered species.
The half-day operation involved 17 USACE employees — including park rangers, biologists, safety staff and Operations and Maintenance personnel — and 47 partner-agency staff from Orange County Public Works, the City of Newport Beach, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, OC CARE and others.
“We came out to the lower Santa Ana River Marsh today to address this ongoing issue, where we have people experiencing homelessness, who will come into the critical habitat and start creating encampments, which causes issues for destruction of the habitat, potentially harming threatened or endanger species that call this place home,” said Nick Figueroa, USACE Los Angeles District park ranger.
The coordinated effort of removing debris from the encampments resulted in the removal of a total of about three tons of material, Figueroa said. The work was supported by contractors and crews operating chipper and compactor equipment, skid-steer support and dozens of hand tools.
The Orange County Outreach and Engagement team also was present at the site to offer services to the homeless.
“Just as important as debris removal is making sure people know this is a dangerous place to stay,” Figueroa said. “The area can flood, and our goal is to connect individuals to safer, sanitary options.”
Orange County’s engagement team contacted several individuals during the operation, with one person accepting services.
Figueroa also emphasized the value of improved coordination among agencies.
“As park rangers, part of our role is educating the public and our partner agencies about our mission and our authorities,” he said. “With established memorandums of understanding with local law enforcement, we’re able to get out here earlier and respond before encampments grow large. Today’s cleanup was relatively small compared to others we’ve had, and we were able to finish it in just a few hours.”
Safety remained a top priority for all.
“You don’t always know what you’re going to find when you’re uncovering debris,” said Mylene Guron, project manager with USACE’s Los Angeles District. “Protecting the safety of our people and our partners is always the priority.”
The operation is part of an ongoing cost-share partnership among Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, which jointly monitor, clear and maintain the marsh.
During the event, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley visited the site and thanked USACE staff and partner agencies for their continued collaboration.
“She’s been a strong advocate for preserving the natural habitat and supporting the agencies that maintain this area,” Figueroa said. “We were glad to see her out here today.”
The lower Santa Ana River Marsh is seen Dec. 10 in Newport Beach, California. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District and partner agencies routinely monitor and maintain the area to protect sensitive habitat and threatened species.
Members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, Orange County Public Works and the city of Newport Beach remove debris Dec. 10 at the lower Santa Ana River Marsh. About three tons of material were collected during the operation.
