A mural within Prado Dam on the west end of Corona that recognizes America’s Bicentennial will not be exposed to risks during a project planned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the agency stated Thursday.
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers appreciates the community’s sentiment for the Prado Bicentennial Mural,” Corps Los Angeles District spokesman Sean Hutchison said Thursday. “I personally witnessed the community’s incredible effort to restore the mural in 2023 after the Corps abated the lead-based paint from the original mural. As we prepare to modernize the dam and spillway for the safety of the region, we want to ensure residents know what to expect when they see changes to the spillway.”
Beginning in April or May, the “Prado Dam Spillway Modifications Project” will get underway, likely continuing for six years, with the goal of increasing the heights of the dam embankment connections by 20 feet.
“These safety modifications are required to modernize the facility and address regional challenges that have emerged over the decades, such as increased urbanization and water runoff,” according to a Corps statement.
Bozeman, Montana-based Barnard Construction Inc. was awarded the modification contract in March 2023 and final authorization to proceed with the work is anticipated by year’s end.
The 12-month Prado Dam Bicentennial Mural Restoration Project concluded in May 2023, involving local, state and federal agencies, though it was spearheaded by two nonprofits — Bicentennial Freedom Mural Conservancy and Friends of the Prado Dam Mural.
Prado Dam is the property of the Corps, but the Riverside County Flood Control & Water Conservation District operates within the space to control Santa Ana River water flows.
The original Bicentennial Mural was painted in celebration of America’s 200th birthday in 1976. The recreated mural that was finished in 2023 is said to be virtually identical to its predecessor.
The Corps granted the district a license to repaint the mural. The Corps was impervious to prior requests for the original mural to remain, citing lead paint hazards. Preservation advocates sued in federal court seeking to prevent the Corps from proceeding with dismantling the display, but the litigation ended in 2021 in favor of the Corps.
Efforts to have the National Park Service declare the former spillway display a national landmark did not gain traction. Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places Joy Beasley said in 2019 that it did not qualify for special protected status because there had been “massive over-painting, loss of original paint through normal wear, and the addition of other non-historic graffiti.”
The original mural had been painted in May 1976, when more than 30 Corona High School students spent several weekends voluntarily working on it.
Upon completion, the mural was 106 feet tall and stretched 2,280 feet across, reading “200 Years of Freedom,” with a space depicting the Liberty Bell, followed by “1776-1976” painted in red, white and blue.
The spillway is visible from portions of the Corona (71) Expressway and the Riverside (91) Freeway.