Now, let’s say the levees that protect your home from flooding are old and deficient. They could fail during the next big storm, causing a major flood. The federal and state government offer to pay $400 million for new and improved levees. The only requirement is that property owners pay for levee maintenance, like erosion and rodent control. That’s what our community is now being offered. We believe we would be foolish to refuse.
The City of Watsonville, the town of Pajaro and surrounding lands face extreme flood risk from the lower Pajaro River and Salsipuedes and Corralitos Creeks. The federal levees that protect our communities were poorly constructed in 1949 and have broken many times since. Most significantly, a levee break in 1995 caused nearly $100 million in flood damages and two deaths. We were spared another levee failure and flood during the storms of 2017, but it was a close call.
Our old and inadequate levees provide amongst the lowest levels of flood protection in California. It’s not if we will flood, but when. Our only hope for a flood-free future is to fix and maintain our levees.
A fix is on the way in the form of the $400 million Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project (project). Managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in partnership with the state and newly formed Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency (PRFMA), the project will provide up to 100-year flood protection for thousands of properties in and around the city and town. Once completed, the Special Flood Hazard Area designations in these communities will be removed, providing property owners relief from high-cost, mandatory flood insurance and building restrictions. The project will also provide environmental and recreational benefits, along with thousands of jobs during the construction period.
Typically, in a case like this, the local community would be required to pay for a significant portion of the project. Thanks to efforts by our local, state, and federal elected officials, the USACE and state are expected to pay 100 percent of the project design and construction costs (65% federal, 35% state). This is something no other California community has been offered, ever. It amounts to a federal and state investment of about $130,000 for each property that will be protected by the levees.
However, to be eligible for state and federal funding, the local community must promise to adequately fund and maintain levees to strict federal standards. Currently, levees are maintained by the city and counties. Levee maintenance services are underfunded, increasing both the difficulty of meeting federal regulations and preventing issues that lead to levee failure and flooding. The estimated annual levee maintenance budget shortfall is $1.2 million per year.
The PRFMA—a joint powers authority of the city and counties—is considering an annual property assessment to ensure levees are adequately funded and maintained. The average single-family residential assessment would be approximately $21 per month. Remember, the value of the state and federal investment in levee repairs amounts to about $130,000 per property.
If an assessment is approved by property owners, the Agency will assume responsibilities for levee maintenance on behalf of the city and counties. This will better ensure compliance with federal regulations and standards, allow for operational and administrative efficiencies and long-term cost savings, and centralize emergency response activities. If the assessment is not approved, the community will lose the $400 million levee repair project and any hope of preventing the next big flood.
Over the next few months, the PRFMA will discuss the potential assessment at its regular Board meetings and share more information with affected property owners. If the Board authorizes the proposed assessment, ballots would be sent to property owners no earlier than May. In the meantime, we look forward to engaging with property owners on this important decision, along with the opportunity to advance long-overdue and much-needed flood protection for our communities. We think it’s an offer too good to refuse.
For information, visit prfma.org.
Greg Caput is a Santa Cruz County Supervisor for the 4th District and a board member of the PRFMA. Nancy Bilicich is a former Watsonville City Councilmember and Board Member of the PRFMA. Their views are their own and not necessarily those of the Pajaronian.
