Pajaro River Levee

First, President Donald Trump’s order to release water from two California dams raised expert concerns about flooding. Then came atmospheric rivers. Are California’s levees up to the task? Here’s what to know.

Construction has officially begun on a $600 million dollar project to rebuild the troubled Pajaro River levee system, nearly 60 years after Congress first identified the need.

It may still be August, but winter is again looming large in Pajaro, where construction crews are at work shoring up the battered levee.

The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) has honored KAZU News with a 2024 National Edward R. Murrow Award

A $200 million proposal to further speed up reconstruction of the troubled Pajaro River levee did not make it into a Congressional budget deal.

The latest round of winter weather spared the Pajaro River levee system, which failed so disastrously last year. That has left officials hopeful that they can keep the 75-year-old system intact for just a little bit longer, with construction on a new, stronger system set to begin this year.

Hundreds of residents are suing the State of California, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, and a host of other government agencies for negligence in at least four cases filed since December.

After hearing concerns from the public, Monterey County supervisors deliberated this week over how much money should go towards immediate relief versus a lengthy list of other projects.

In a letter addressed to legislators, the supervisors decried the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision to push back a deadline for some repairs that were supposed to be complete before the end of the year.

Local leaders signed an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers to clear the way for construction. But the project is still expected to take up to a decade.