Title
Consider receiving an update on the repair projects at the Pajaro River Levee Left Bank in Monterey County and provide direction to staff as necessary.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Supervisors:
Receive an update on the repair projects at the Pajaro River Levee Left Bank in Monterey County and provide direction to staff as necessary.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Monterey County Water Resources Agency ("Agency") is the "non-federal sponsor" of the United States Army Corps of Engineers ("USACE") Pajaro River Levee Federal Project Left Bank ("Levee") under Public Law 84-99 ("PL 84-99") and is charged with the operations and maintenance of said levee system within Monterey County. Due to severe weather events in January 2023 and March 2023, the Levee sustained two complete breach locations, one severe erosion location, and substantial damage at several locations within Monterey County.
The Agency applied for Federal assistance under the PL 84-99 for damages that occurred during both the January and March 2023 storm events with a total of 51 individual sites. The three most critical sites, described above, were approved by USACE as eligible for rehabilitation assistance with a goal to be repaired prior to the winter of 2023-24 to prevent potential further damage. Repairs were completed at the original breach location, upstream of the town of Pajaro (USACE Site 1), in early October. Additional maintenance and repairs were completed by the Agency in that upstream reach of the river, extending approximately three miles downstream of Site 1.
The most downstream levee breach (USACE site 3) has been completely designed and authorized and the contractor mobilized to the site in early October. Unfortunately, there have been numerous delays in repairing the site and the contractor and USACE continue to work on getting the site secured from high groundwater in order to begin levee rebuilding. The ...
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