An agreement signed on Tuesday between local leaders and the Army Corps of Engineers cleared the way for construction to begin next year on a replacement for the ailing Pajaro River levee. The long-awaited project will provide 100-year flood protection for the communities of Pajaro and Watsonville, compared to the eight- to 10-year protection of the current structure. The signing ceremony at Watsonville City Hall came 57 years after Congress first authorized rebuilding the inadequate levee system, directing in the Flood Control Act of 1966 that the work be done “expeditiously.” The levee’s failure in March, which flooded the town of Pajaro and drove thousands from their homes, spotlighted a federal funding system that prioritized flood control projects in rich communities over disadvantaged ones.

Related articles: 

• Santa Cruz Sentinel: Army Corps, elected officials agree to expedite new Pajaro River levee construction
• Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom: 100-year flood protection project in Pajaro advances