State Sen. John Laird is backing new legislation that could help speed construction to repair the Pajaro River levee. Work to fix the river’s flood walls started earlier this year.
Pajaro River levee
Laird impulsa una nueva legislación para acelerar la construcción del dique del río Pájaro
El senador estatal John Laird respalda una nueva legislación que podría ayudar a acelerar la construcción para reparar el dique del río Pájaro. Los trabajos para arreglar los muros de contención del río comenzaron a principios de este año.
County officials work to secure nearly $13M in flood recovery for Pajaro Valley; levee project gets additional federal boost
Santa Cruz County officials say they’re applying for state funding to help support infrastructure improvements following intense storms in 2023, affecting residents around the Pajaro Valley.
Construction on Pajaro River levee anticipated to begin in early 2026; funding for Phase 2 still in limbo
Construction on the Pajaro River levee is anticipated to begin in early 2026, according to local officials. The $600 million project focuses on rebuilding the levee to help prevent future flooding in the Pajaro Valley.
Damage to several ‘tiny village’ units sets back opening of Watsonville homeless shelter by a few weeks
Damage to several of the “tiny homes” under construction at an outdoor shelter in Watsonville has delayed its opening. Monterey County officials say they still hope to move unhoused residents in this month.
Pajaro River levee cleanup scatters an unhoused community, creating new challenges for outreach workers
In the weeks following a massive encampment cleanup along the Pajaro River levee, unhoused residents have moved upstream, which has created challenges for the homelessness outreach team tasked with helping some levee residents find shelter.
As Pajaro levee sweep begins, homeless workers face the painful task of displacing their own
As crews began to clear the Pajaro River levee encampment on Monday, some of the workers are homeless themselves — and struggle to reconcile their need for paid work with being on the other side of sweeps in the past.
‘People are overwhelmed’: Pajaro River levee residents face Monday deadline to leave, with no sure place to go
Along the Pajaro River levee, where chickens roost in makeshift homes and cats roam freely, outreach workers are rushing to help residents and their pets find somewhere to go ahead of flood control repairs set to begin next week.
Imminent Pajaro River encampment sweeps will displace dozens of levee residents before ‘tiny village’ opening
The Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency announced Wednesday it will move forward with scheduling its encampment sweep along the Pajaro River for the end of August, which will displace dozens of levee residents before temporary housing is available for them.
When momentum meets politics: How Pajaro River levee funding is struggling for priority in Trump’s Washington
Despite bipartisan support and urgency following the 2023 breach of the Pajaro River levee, phase-two funding for its $600 million replacement project was omitted from federal budgets, raising concerns over delays and political interference.

