Update from levee in Huntington Beach 12:07 p.m.
News cameras whirred as construction workers removed a large chunk of an earthen levee separating the Magnolia wetland in Huntington Beach from a flood-control channel — restoring a connection to the ocean for the first time in 100 years.
The construction crew actually had been whittling down the top of the levee for the last two weeks, said Gordon Smith, chairman of the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy.
The count so far: 21 birds dead and five rescued from the scene of a crude-oil spill in Huntington Beach, while investigators continue trying to determine the source of the oil. 
Friday’s spill of nearly 700 gallons in a flood-control channel drew Huntington Beach officials, the Coast Guard , the state Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which is now in charge of the operation. Booms have been erected to corral the oil while the agencies continue to remove it.
They’re recovered three to four barrels so far — 126 to 168 gallons — said EPA on-scene coordinator Robert Wise. The total spill was estimated at 16 barrels, or 672 gallons.
“We’re still trying to figure out where it came from,” Wise said.
The debris was piled high at the Santa Ana River mouth, and county and state parks workers were on cleanup duty in Orange County, but early assessments show that the county’s flood channels weathered the storms fairly well. 
“We’re still trying to lift our heads above, and see what’s going on,” said Nadeem Majaj, assistant director of OC Engineering.
That includes getting an idea of just how much debris was washed down the county’s channels.
Many of the county’s channels are not sufficient to handle a 100-year flood event, but the storms did not rise to the 100-year storm level, Majaj said.
“The flood channels in general performed as good as they could,” he said, despite some isolated overtopping and flooding.
[brightcove]62947811001[/brightcove]
That happened at the Cañada Channel in Laguna Hills near Moulton Parkway, and in the East Garden Grove-Wintersburg Channel near Euclid Street in Santa Ana.
Some canyon area culverts are also in need of channel cleanup, including Modjeska Canyon, he said.
Latest posts:
Wildlife took center stage in Green OC in the summer months, with more insect invasions, both troublesome and benign, and the arrival of large sea creatures that fascinated Orange County residents. (See previous posts covering January, February and March, and April, May and June).
July, August, September
The guava fruit fly made its latest appearance in north-central Orange County in mid-July, prompting treatment of a 10-square-mile area and an admonition to residents not to move backyard fruit from the area.
Meanwhile, enormous Humboldt squid appeared bent on invasion, showing up in large numbers off Orange County — much to the delight of squid fishermen.
Then came an influx of massive blue whales. The giant creatures, typically 65 to 70 feet long, have been appearing each summer off Orange, Los Angeles and San Diego counties since the 1990s. One blue whale researcher says it might be part of a larger pattern: a shift back to pre-whaling migration patterns.
In August, another bug invasion — this time the red bug, a Mediterranean species that appeared to be making its first American appearance in Southern California.
But while ecologists kept an eye on the bugs to check for any harmful effects on native vegetation, they appeared to offer no known threat to people or plants.
Late in the month, state agricultural officials imposed a quarantine over all of Orange County for yet another invasive pest, the Asian citrus psyllid.
As 2009 moved into spring and summer, insects, drought and water supply became important concerns in Orange County. We continue with our review of 2009′s green highlights. (See previous post covering January, February and March.)
April, May, June
April opened with a story of two Orange County women who specialize in rescuing unwanted bees, farming them out to small farmers and hobbyists. The story provoked an outpouring of bee stories from readers. 
Mid-month, the Metropolitan Water District in Los Angeles — the region’s water wholesaler — announced a 10 percent cut in supply to downstream agencies, including Orange County’s. It was one of many signs of a dry year and tightening water supplies, and prompted water agencies throughout coastal Southern California to step up campaigns for voluntary conservation.
Bill Clinton spoke in Orange County on Earth Day, April 22, an event covered live in Green OC.
Looking down the list, you might be forgiven for thinking apocalyptic thoughts: insect invasion, drought, wildfire, even local hints of global warming. 
The stories that captured attention in the Register’s Green OC blog in 2009 seem to foretell disaster on all fronts. Luckily, Orange County has emerged (mostly) unscathed.
There were some glimmers of good news, too: green jobs are up, beaches are clean, and 20,000 more acres of rugged, wild landscape could well become county parkland.
January, February, March
The year began inauspiciously, with reports of hundreds of sick and injured pelicans careening and crashing all along the West Coast — hitting cars, stumbling around on roadways, mystifying residents. Scientists later determined that the cause was most likely a severe cold snap off the Oregon coast that led to frostbite and other illnesses among the birds.
From your favorite restaurants and shops to the best day spa in town, here are your choices for the number one places to eat, shop and play in O.C.
