The flooding in January in Watsonville was traced to the buildup of debris in the Salsipuedes and Corralitos creeks. With the threat of El Niño this winter, we can have a repeat of this year’s flooding.
With the release of Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-10-23, these and other stream beds can be cleared of debris prior to the rains. The Executive Order, in part states, “There remains a need for removal of floating vegetation and debris throughout impacted counties, including stretches of the Salinas River mainstream and tributaries, stretches of the Pajaro River mainstream and tributaries, and coastal streams along the Central Coast region from Santa Cruz County to Ventura County, and that removal must expeditiously occur before the next rainy season begins in fall 2023 in order to mitigate the risk of additional flooding and allow for continued recovery efforts.”
Now is the time to act. The county and every farmer along these streams should start clearing the debris.
Bill Beecher
Aptos
I hope Supervisor Hernandez knows about Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-10-23 and has Santa Cruz County and Flood Control District 7 get busy and clean the College Lake/Pinto Lake Ditch/Little Salsipuedes Creek draining problems up to and including the convergence with Corralitos Creek/Salsipuedes Levee to avoid another lawsuit. Many in Orchard Park are still not back in their homes due to January flood.