Rep. Panetta Secures $67 Million in Federal Funds for the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project

SALINAS, CA – On Wednesday, March 30 U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) announced that he secured $67 million in federal funding for the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project. This funding is from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was supported by Congressman Panetta and signed into law by President Joe Biden in the Fall of 2021. In order to ensure that this significant amount of money was committed to the Pajaro River Flood Risk project, Congressman Panetta continued his fierce advocacy for the project with numerous meetings with representatives from the White House, Office of Management and Budget, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The $67 million will be used for the first phase of construction of the project in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. Rep. Panetta previously secured a combined $4.6 million to complete the preconstruction, engineering, and design (PED) phase of the project. “This substantial amount of federal funding for the Pajaro River project represents not only a significant step towards its completion, but also a major commitment by the federal government to this local project,” said Rep. Panetta. “It wasn’t easy, and we have a lot more to do, but fortunately, with this large amount of federal funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, we’ve established a solid foundation upon which our team of local leaders can continue to push this project forward. As we enter the construction phase, I will continue to work with state and local officials as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to ensure that we truly achieve the goal of 100-year flood protection for our people in Watsonville and Pajaro.” “The Pajaro River project has been 50 years in the making, and we are so thankful to Congressman Panetta for his hard work on our behalf. The local sponsors of this project in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties look forward to working with our partners at the Corps of Engineers as soon as possible to make flood protection on the River a reality,” said Mark Strudley, Executive Director of the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency. “Today, equity and fairness won. The voices and needs of the residents of Watsonville and Pajaro, many of whom have been waiting for generations to receive the flood protection they deserve, have been elevated in an unprecedented and historic way,” said Zach Friend, Santa Cruz County Supervisor. “I am so pleased that the residents of Pajaro and Watsonville, who have suffered through years of dangerous flood events, will finally receive much needed relief. It has been an honor work on this project with Congressman Panetta and we appreciate his tenacious advocacy on our behalf,” said John Phillips, Monterey County Supervisor. “Today is a great day for the Pajaro Valley and I look forward to completion of this project so that our residents will no longer have to live in fear of flooding. I want to thank Congressman Panetta, who has prioritized this project since he was first elected to Congress, for his hard work on our behalf,” said Greg Caput, Santa Cruz County Supervisor. The Pajaro River Flood Risk Reduction Project was authorized by the federal Flood Control Act of 1966, and local leaders have been working with the Army Corps since then to secure the authority for construction. In 2019, Congressman Panetta secured a final feasibility report for the Project, which was over 50 years in the making. The Director’s Report was the milestone that finally allowed the Project to enter into its PED phase, which made it eligible for federal funding. In 2020, Congressman Panetta secured $1,800,000 for the Project and has been actively engaged in tracking the usage of these funds. In 2021, Congressman Panetta’s also secured over $2,800,000 for the project to complete its PED phase and ultimately move into construction.