Padilla, Schiff Help Deliver $54 Million in Federal Funding for Pajaro River Flood Risk Project, Part of More Than $240 Million Secured for California

Padilla and Schiff secure federal funding for Watsonville and Pajaro's flood protection efforts to protect residents, businesses, and infrastructure

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) announced that they secured $54 million in federal funding for the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. The new federal investment will increase flood protection for Watsonville and Pajaro residents by reconstructing failing flood control levees along the Pajaro River and its tributaries. This funding is part of the $241,794,366in total Congressionally Directed Spending funding that Padilla delivered for California for Fiscal Year 2026, with the passage of recent funding bills. Shortly after the storms breached the Pajaro River levee in 2023, Senator Padilla surveyed the damage along Highway 1 and met with families, small business owners, and farmers in Watsonville and Pajaro impacted by the extreme storms and flooding in California.

The funding announcement comes after President Trump's Army Corps work plan zeroed out hundreds of millions of dollars for key California waterway construction projects, including the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project - steering hundreds of millions to red states instead. Padilla and Schiff blasted Trump's outrageous, overtly political decision at the time, and has continued to fight for Pajaro to get the levee upgrades it urgently needs.

"Nearly three years ago, I visited Pajaro and Watsonville where I met with residents and saw firsthand their lives upended by catastrophic flooding that wiped out entire homes, farms, and businesses. Since then, I have pushed for sustained federal investment not just to rebuild the Central Coast communities devastated by historic flooding, but to protect the region from future disasters," said Senator Padilla. "As atmospheric rivers grow more frequent and severe, this new funding boost will help create new flood walls and rebuild more resilient levees along the Pajaro River. I won't stop fighting in Congress for even more funding to address the inequities in our infrastructure in Pajaro and beyond."

"I'm proud to deliver federal funding for critical flood protection improvements for communities across our state that are most at risk," said Senator Schiff. "Watsonville and Pajaro residents have waited decades for upgraded flood protection systems, and experienced significant damage and even loss of life in the process. It's time that these federal dollars reach the Watsonville and Pajaro community as we work to mitigate flood risk and damage to residents, businesses, and local infrastructure. This investment would not be possible without the leadership and partnership of Senator Padilla, Congressman Panetta, Congresswoman Lofgren, and local leaders fighting to ensure this critical project receives the federal resources it needs."

"The residents and businesses along the Pajaro River have been waiting for necessary flood protection for far too long," said Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18). "In September, I was proud to announce nearly $40 million for levee and floodwall construction in Watsonville, and I'm proud to have submitted this additional $54.8 million as one of my community projects this year. That's going to help save lives and property, and I'm thankful for the extraordinary leadership Senators Padilla and Schiff have both shown by prioritizing this project as well."

"For far too long, the people Watsonville and Pajaro have been left vulnerable to devastating floods that have damaged homes, taken lives, and destroyed livelihoods," said Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-19). "Together with Senators Schiff and Padilla and Rep. Lofgren, we have worked hard to ensure that the federal government has stepped up and provided the funding necessary for proper flood protection of the communities along the Pajaro River. The partnership at all levels of government to make the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project a reality is something we can all be proud of on the Central Coast of California."

Senator Padilla has fought tirelessly for Central Coast communities devastated by atmospheric river flooding. He and Representative Lofgren successfully led the California Congressional delegation in urging the Biden Administration to approve a Major Disaster Declaration. In spring of 2024, Padilla urged the Biden Administration to prioritize sustained federal investment in the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project to protect disadvantaged communities along the central coast of California.

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