Pajaro Flood Project Clears Fiscal Hurdle, Santa Cruz County Says

WATSONVILLE, CA — Local officials say the $394 million Pajaro Valley Flood Risk Reduction Project proposal has reached a key milestone. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers analysis determined the project has a positive cost-benefit ratio, an important step in securing funding to pay for the project, the County of Santa Cruz announced Monday.

Supervisor Zach Friend said in a press release that this marks the "most significant step in over 50 years toward the levee project becoming a reality." Vulnerable populations rely on the levee, he said.

The news came during Friday's Pajaro River Watershed Flood Prevention Authority meeting. The project can now move to the design phase from the planning phase, according to the press release.

The project has been met with numerous delays over the years. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported more than a decade ago that the project — then estimated to cost $200 million — was the "top legislative priority" for the City of Santa Cruz.

The levee project seeks to rebuild levees or add setback levees or floodwalls to ensure floodwaters are contained in the Pajaro River channel, according to the press release. Homeowners who pay flood insurance premiums could save some money, endangered species could see improved habitats and local groundwater supplies could be reinforced thanks to the project.