As Watsonville levee project construction begins, protection for Pajaro could be a decade away
… The Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, a joint effort of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency, was created in 2021 and seeks to both better protect homes and cede some of the historic floodplain back to the river. One solution has been to knock down old levees and construct new ones further from the riverbed — in some areas, more than a football field’s length away. Besides flood protection, the expanded riverbanks are designed to provide new habitat for riparian plants and animals, and let water seep into the soil to replenish groundwater aquifers. Groundwater basins in the county, including the Mid-County and Pajaro Valley basins are critically overdrafted and at risk of saltwater intrusion if not refilled.
Other flood protection news:
- San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area city’s plan for sea level rise could abandon businesses along the waterfront
- CBS San Francisco: Federal funds secured to help repair Pajaro River levee in Monterey County
