The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a government funding package that includes the allocation of $26 million for long overdue work on the San Luis Rey River flood-control project in Oceanside. The money will be spent to improve flood protection for Oceanside residents by repairing the San Luis Rey River levee system and removing sediment that has accumulated in the river channel, said Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, in a news release Thursday. Any beach quality sand excavated from the channel will be placed on the city’s eroding beaches south of the municipal pier. The funding package now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to pass, and it will then need to be signed by the president. “For too long, Oceanside’s flood protection system has been unable to adequately protect residents, businesses, and infrastructure,” Levin said in a news release Thursday. The funding “will begin the work to upgrade the system, fix the levees, and provide much-needed flood protection that will mitigate risk to nearby residents,” he said. “I look forward to this funding coming to our community and making a real difference.” The so-called San Luis Rey River Project Flood Risk Reduction Project was authorized by Congress in 1970 with the intention of providing a 250-year level of flood protection. However, challenges have halted construction several times over the years, delaying completion and increasing costs. The levees need critical repairs, and sediment slows water flowing in the river channel. Meanwhile, flood protection has dipped to a 70-year level, far below the 250-year level of protection envisioned in the project authorization, according to the news release. The money will be used to remove sediment and repair levees, along with continued geotechnical analyses, environmental coordination, hydrology updates, hydraulic analysis, and to monitor water quality and the health of plants and animals. ...read more read less