U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla announced Tuesday that he and Sen. Adam Schiff secured $54 million in federal funding for the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, aimed at strengthening flood protection for Watsonville and Pajaro.
The funding will go toward reconstructing failing levees along the Pajaro River and its tributaries in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, according to Padilla’s office. The project is intended to reduce flood risk for residents, businesses and infrastructure in the low-lying communities, which have experienced repeated flooding.
“Nearly three years ago, I visited Pajaro and Watsonville where I met with residents and saw firsthand their lives upended by catastrophic flooding that wiped out entire homes, farms, and businesses,” Padilla said in a statement. “Since then, I have pushed for sustained federal investment not just to rebuild the Central Coast communities devastated by historic flooding, but to protect the region from future disasters.”
Problems with the aging levee have plagued the region for years, overtopping its banks and allowing devastating floods in 1955, 1995 and 1997. Some 3,000 properties lie in the floodplain.
Local, state and federal officials worked for years to garner funds for the $600 million project.
Padilla said the funding would help construct new floodwalls and rebuild more resilient levees as atmospheric rivers become more frequent and severe.
The announcement follows controversy over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ work plan under President Trump, which eliminated funding for several California waterway construction projects, including the Pajaro River project. Padilla criticized that decision at the time and said he continued to advocate for the levee upgrades.
Schiff said the funding would address long-standing needs in the region.
“Watsonville and Pajaro residents have waited decades for upgraded flood protection systems, and experienced significant damage and even loss of life in the process,” Schiff said in a statement.
U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren noted she announced nearly $40 million in September for levee and floodwall construction in Watsonville and said she submitted the additional $54.8 million as a community project this year.
Panetta said the federal investment reflects coordination among local, state and federal officials to move the project forward.
Communities along the Pajaro River saw extensive flooding in 2023 after levee failures inundated neighborhoods and farmland, prompting evacuations and widespread damage. Local officials have long sought comprehensive upgrades to the river’s flood control system.
The newly announced $54 million is expected to support continued construction and improvements designed to reduce the risk of future flooding.
