Thousand Palms community calls on Riverside County to act on flood concerns

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) - Residents around Shadow Mountain Lane in Thousand Palms are urging Riverside County to fix ongoing flood concerns they say have been ignored for years.

Neighbors point to the Thousand Palms Flood Control Program, a $90 million project currently underway, but argue it provides no flood protection for their area.

Instead of channels, the Thousand Palms Flood Control Program uses four large dikes designed to intentionally flood approximately 4,000 acres of conservation land. The goal, according to the project, is to move sand east and south so it can be blown into the Coachella Valley Preserve to support habitat for the fringe-toed lizard.

Residents argue the use of dikes—rather than channels—keeps water on the surface, increases flood risk, and prevents homes from being built, while placing nearby neighborhoods at greater danger.

Residents say no flood protection is planned for the Amity Lane area, even though it is not part of the Thousand Palms Conservation Area. They argue the County has an obligation to protect the homes there.

Community members say they have repeatedly reached out to Supervisor V. Manuel Perez’s office but say they have received no response.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.