As construction finally begins this week on the 34-unit “tiny village” shelter intended to house people living along the Pajaro River levee, time is running out for residents to figure out their next move as an encampment cleanup could happen sooner than the anticipated opening of the shelter.
Pajaro River levee
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Watsonville man is second person charged in connection with body found at Pajaro River levee in April
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has charged a second man with murder with connection to the body of a Watsonville resident discovered at the Pajaro River levee in April.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Pajaro man charged with murder in connection to body found at Pajaro River levee
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office arrested 61-year-old Pajaro resident Bernardino Sanchez in connection to the body of a Watsonville resident found buried at the Pajaro River levee in April.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Facing eviction in encampment sweeps, homeless residents along Pajaro River levee brace for uncertain future
Homeless residents along the Pajaro River levee face displacement from planned sweeps for safety and levee repairs, leaving them anxious about limited housing options and what will happen to their belongings and pets.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
After two bodies found at Pajaro River levee, Watsonville councilmember’s grave suspicion raises new questions
Watsonville City Councilmember Casey Clark suspected there might be bodies buried on the Pajaro River levee after encountering a memorial during a walk. His suspicions have only increased as Monterey County detectives discovered two bodies on the levee in the past two months.
Posted inLatest News
KAZU wins Edward R. Murrow Award for flooding coverage
The newsroom of public radio station KAZU was recently recognized with a 2024 national Edward R. Murrow Award for its coverage of flooding that devastated Santa Cruz County last year.
Posted inLatest News
After 70 years and flooding’s havoc, Pajaro River levee work begins
The Pajaro River flood protection project broke ground in Watsonville on Wednesday morning. Construction is expected to officially start in 2025. The groundbreaking marks the culmination of a nearly 70-year struggle to rebuild the Pajaro River levee.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Pajaro levee repair delays raise concerns as crews work to beat the rain
The emergency repairs to sections of the Pajaro River levee that breached and crumbled during last winter’s floods have run into unexpected delays. A vow by the federal government to finish the project by late November has now been pushed to January/February, but could take until summer if heavy rains return to the region this winter.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Levee agreement marks a watershed moment for the people of Watsonville and Pajaro
A federal, state and local agreement signed last week officially greenlights the construction of a new Pajaro River levee, a project the community has been waiting for since the 1950s. Local officials say the moment has been a long time coming.
Posted inLatest News
After 68 years, a new Pajaro River levee is now all but guaranteed, set to begin summer 2024
Nothing is ever guaranteed, but officials say a new Pajaro River levee is as close as government gets after local and federal agencies signed an agreement to spend the money for the first section of the project. The largely low-income communities of Pajaro and parts of Watsonville have been waiting for reinforced flood protection for nearly 70 years.