Santa Ana Spotlight: King Street Urban Greening Project

Thriving green spaces are vital for Orange County’s communities. They provide recreational opportunities for residents and keep our neighborhoods healthy. 

They can also protect our waterways! Green spaces that serve this purpose, often called “green stormwater infrastructure,” help keep pollutants out of our creeks, rivers, and ocean. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce the City of Santa Ana Public Works Agency was awarded a grant from the Caltrans Clean California Local Grant Program (CCLGP) for their King Street Urban Greening Project.

Let’s dive into this exciting new project to see how it’ll improve the lives of Santa Ana residents while helping our waterways flourish!

Project Details

The King Street Urban Greening Project will transform 9,000 square feet of unused public space at the intersection of King Street and 10th Street into a vibrant community green space. New lighting and pathways for cyclists and pedestrians will help keep commuters safe while traveling through this corridor. Installed seating will allow community members to enjoy the space for longer and take in the art installations.

This project was made possible by the City of Santa Ana being awarded nearly $1.5 million dollars in grant funding from the CCLGP. This competitive statewide program was created to beautify and clean up local streets and roads, tribal lands, parks, pathways, transit centers, and other public spaces. 

Once completed, this project will be a tremendous asset to Santa Ana residents.

Stormwater Benefits

Not only will this project enhance the unused space, but it’ll also have terrific water quality and supply benefits thanks to its green stormwater infrastructure! This project will add drought-tolerant native plants, which require less water, and waste bins to help keep trash out of our storm drains. There will also be an underground stormwater infiltration system and two bioretention basins that will collect approximately 117,000 gallons of stormwater per storm from a 10-acre drainage area. The stormwater will then slowly percolate back into the local groundwater basin for future use. 

These features stop runoff pollution in its tracks by keeping it from entering the storm drain system. 

This protects our waterways because unlike the sewer system (which does treat water), anything that flows into the storm drain system can go untreated into our creeks, rivers, and ocean. By collecting and infiltrating water through green stormwater infrastructure, runoff and potential pollutants from this project’s drainage area will be prevented from flowing into our water bodies.

Santa Ana River Watershed

The King Street Urban Greening project is one of many water resources management projects located in the Santa Ana River Watershed! This watershed extends into Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, beginning in the San Bernadino Mountains, and spans 2,650 square miles. The Santa Ana River is the largest in Southern California, running almost 100 miles to the Pacific Ocean in Huntington Beach. This waterway provides ample opportunities for rainwater collection and use. 

Another impactful project in this watershed is Orange County Water District’s Groundwater Replenishment System which diverts Santa Ana River water to recharge the Orange County groundwater basin. This resource supplies 85% of the water demand for north and central Orange County. No matter if you’re inland in Santa Ana or on the coast in Huntington Beach, it’s critical to prevent pollutants from flowing into our storm drains. 

Terrific work by the City of Santa Ana Public Works Agency on developing this project and being awarded this grant. Design of the King Street Urban Greening Project is complete. Construction is anticipated to start in November 2023 and be completed in June 2024. 

We can’t wait to see this wonderful gem once it’s completed!

More Ways to Appreciate Orange County’s Watersheds

• Explore your watershed and report water pollution. While you’re visiting Orange County’s creeks, trails, and coastline, make observations about water quality conditions. If you see anything abnormal (such as high numbers of dead fish or fowl, overwatering, trash in the gutter, or other signs of pollution), report it by visiting our Report Pollution page. 
• Connect with area watershed organizations through local events. Join H₂OC, other organizations, and your neighbors who are working to protect and restore our creeks, rivers, bays, and ocean. Check out our calendar to find events in your area.
• Spread the word. To protect our waterways, share your knowledge about preventing water pollution and encourage others to do the same. You can even involve your kids in learning about watersheds and pollution prevention through our Stormwater 101 for Students page. 
• Learn more. Visit our What is a Watershed?  and Runoff 101 pages.
• Follow us. Check out H₂OC’s Facebook and Instagram pages for pollution prevention tips, community highlights, and watershed features.