By ERIK CHALHOUB, Managing Editor
There is a glimmer of hope for the Pajaro River levee project.
That’s the vibe I’ve gotten when I talked to officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and County of Santa Cruz last week. It was also the sentiment expressed at a meeting I attended in October about the project.
On Oct. 31, the Army Corps of Engineers released a report outlining the project, which would, among other things, construct 7.3 miles of new levees along the lower Pajaro River as well as five miles of levees on Salsipuedes and Corralitos creeks.
That’s welcome news for the more than 12,000 people who live in the floodplain, who have to hope every winter that the degrading levees along the Pajaro River sustain the sudden rush of flowing water from heavy rains.
The word I’ve been hearing leading up to the release of the report is “accelerated.” “Accelerated” because last winter’s storms reminded everyone of the tragic floods of 1995, ’97 and ’98, and the need to get something done on the levees, and quick.
However, it’s more appropriate to say that the project is “relatively accelerated,” taking into account that it has been in the works since before I hit kindergarten.
Regardless, the Army Corps of Engineers, along with Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, have reached an agreement on a tentatively selected plan, with the goal of making a final recommendation by summer 2018.
Should the project be found consistent with the Flood Control Act of 1966, it would then be eligible for construction funding as part of the President’s budget process. If it is not consistent, it would need an act of Congress to move forward, according to Tom Kendall, chief of the Planning Branch of the San Francisco District of the Army Corps of Engineers.
But we all know that “act of Congress” has become synonymous with “not going to happen anytime soon,” so we have to hope that it doesn’t come to that.
Best case scenario, construction will begin in 2021 and wrap up in 2025. But that’s still four to eight more stressful winters for the residents in the area.
Those looking for more information on the project and wanting to give input are invited to a public meeting Wednesday at the Watsonville Civic Plaza Community Room, 275 Main St., fourth floor, from 6-8 p.m.
