A recently-acquired slice of coastal land near Watsonville will help protect South County and its farmland from flooding, coastal surges and other impacts of global warming.
The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County announced Tuesday that it has purchased 247 acres at Beach Ranch, where the Pajaro River meets the Pacific Ocean.
That land will serve as a buffer zone for the rising ocean and help quell the increasing number of floods that are impacting the area.
South County has been beset by several natural disasters such as storms, tidal surges and floods, much of which was driven by climate change.
Land Trust purchased the property in partnership with The Conservation Fund and The Nature Conservancy.
The work will be bolstered by a recent $71 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for climate change resiliency, including $6M for restoration at Beach Ranch.
Beach Ranch features 2.1 miles of shoreline along the Pajaro River and Watsonville Slough estuary.
According to the Land Trust, 22 of the 247 acres on the property are estuarine wetlands 10 acres contain agricultural infrastructure and the remaining 215 acres are in organic fruit and vegetable production.
The work will begin with 47 acres of agricultural land that will be restored to estuarine habitat, the Land Trust said.
The restoration will then progress to the inland wetland habitat, which will reduce flood risk by expanding the floodplain, thus spreading the energy of floodwaters across a greater area.
The project is expected to increase estuarine habitat by 16% for the numerous species of birds, fish and other animals.
It is also intended to reduce the levels of nitrate from agriculture uses that threaten the Watsonville Slough and Pajaro River.
These systems are projected to remove over 10 metric tons of nitrate from agricultural drainage water, preventing its discharge into the estuary.
The project also includes plans to improve the existing levee trail by connecting the community of Watsonville to the Pajaro River Estuary.
“We are using land protection and restoration to create thriving natural buffers along the Pajaro River, restoring marginal nonproductive acres to estuarine habitat, and establishing living shorelines that improve water quality, capture and store carbon, and protect inland areas,” said Sarah Newkirk, Executive Director at the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County.
According to the Land Trust, the property was at risk of being purchased by a “non-conservation” buyer when it was listed for sale in the fall of 2022.
The Land Trust worked with The Conservation Fund (TCF) who financed a rapid purchase to avert such a sale.
TCF successfully then served as the interim landowner, which gave the Land Trust time to complete fundraising efforts through The State Coastal Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Board, Department of Conservation, and the local community.
“As a proud partner on this critical project, The Conservation Fund recognizes this coastal area is particularly vulnerable to climate change and future flooding,” said Dan Medeiros, Conservation Project Manager at The Conservation Fund. “Building out the wetlands area as green space will help build climate resiliency, protecting residents and farmland from future flooding, all while sustaining the local economy and supporting local jobs.”
Looks like much of the organic ag land will no longer be used for agricultural growing???
I don’t see this as an improvement to preserving our food supply….
Are any property owners at Pajaro Dunes benefiting from this project?