Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project breaks ground

Construction is being managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in partnership with the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency.

The Governor, in partnership with the Legislature, has invested a total of $560 million over the last two state budgets to support flood response and projects to protect communities from future flooding. $125 million of this funding was made available to support flood preparedness and recovery projects in at-risk communities.

State action to safeguard Pajaro Valley communities

• The Governor last year signed AB 876 by Speaker Robert Rivas, an urgency measure that streamlines environmental review of the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project to expedite levee repairs.
• The Governor signed legislation in 2022 by Senator John Laird authorizing advanced payments for early-stage work on the project.
• The Governor signed legislation in 2021 by Senator Laird to cover up to 100 percent of the non-federal costs, which is estimated to total $210 million of the $599 million in project costs.
• Of the state’s cost share, $47 million has already been provided for key early-stage work on the project.
• The state provided $40 million to the communities of Pajaro and Planada for flood relief in summer 2023, including direct relief to residents and workers regardless of documentation and citizenship status.