The Emergency Debris Basin Cleanup project consisted of the removal and disposal of all classes of material within six designated debris basins in San Bernardino County, California. The basins cleaned to their original as-built dimensions were Patton Basin, East Badger Basin, North Badger Basin and Devil Basins (3), with over 178,529 cubic yards of material removed. This emergency contract was competitively bid through contractors certified under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division's MATOC (Multiple Award Task Order Contrast); a select group prequalified to bid on projects throughout eleven western states.

Material removed averaged over
900 truckloads per day

Caterpillar EL240B Track
Excavator allowed for quick
 truck loading and turn around.

The flood-control basins are a series of lagoons spaced at regular intervals along the base of the San Gabriel mountain range. “The Christmas Day mudslides and resulting loss of life have shown that a much larger effort beyond local and state resources is needed,” Linda Adams, director of the state Dept. of Water Resources, wrote to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers District Commander COL Richard G. Thompson on Dec. 28, 2003. “To prevent widespread flooding and loss of life and property, it is critical to clear the San Bernardino County debris basins…Therefore, I am requesting the technical and direct assistance of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers….”