Flooding again hits the Bolsa Knolls neighborhood.

On the first Sunday of January, Bolsa Knolls residents woke up to the recurrent sound of water flowing through their properties and their streets. This happens several times a year during the rainy season, keeping residents of the neighborhood north of Salinas vigilant to any storm warnings. 

“I wish I could say that we haven’t seen this before, but that’s not the case,” says Lisa Wise, a longtime Bolsa Knolls resident, adding that water reached up to three feet deep.

Residents have reached out to County Supervisor Glenn Church, who represents Bolsa Knolls, via emails and phone calls demanding actions to resolve the flooding issue. 

“It is the worst time,” resident Francisco Maciel says.

The flooding impacted homes from Rogge Road to Cornwall Street. Maciel says the creek overflowed into Cornwall more than previous years, making its way into the baseball field.

Maciel and his family spent more than $70,000 on a retaining wall and says it paid off. The only water he and his family had to worry about was rain water. After the flood in November, the County of Monterey cleaned the culverts, and deep down Maciel says he hoped that would be enough. 

“I was wrong that the [clean] culverts were going to help,” he says. “But it doesn't help when the creek is only two feet deep.

“It’s frustrating, very frustrating. They just keep saying it is not my jurisdiction and they won’t tell us [which] jurisdiction that is so we can talk to them.”

Photos and videos of murky water covering the streets and a child floating through on an orange kayak in the streets were shared on social media.

Others are worried about elderly neighbors and family members, property damage, increased costs and biohazard risks when water breaks septic tanks. “We just want it clean,” Maciel says, adding that he and his neighbors are exploring legal action.

Streets on Monday afternoon were still covered in silt. Maciel walked his dog that day and noted the ground was slippery and streets looked like dirt roads.

County Communications Director Nick Pasculli says on Jan. 6 county workers and contractors have assessed the situation in Bolsa Knolls and are addressing storm-related impacts on county-maintained roadways, including removing debris, clearing mud and sediment.

“Crews are actively working in the Bolsa Knolls community to remove storm debris from streets and improve roadway safety for residents,” Pasculli says.

Church requested a creek study. Denise Duffy & Associates, an environmental consultant based in Monterey, is conducting a drainage study for the County of Monterey for $200,000. Results were expected in summer of 2025 but are not yet ready. Church said via email the study would be ready in February. “It needs to be complete and thorough,” he says.

"Overall, I am simply frustrated and not happy," Church says. "But some progress is happening."

The creek is in a multi-layered area that is under various agencies and property owners. It’s home to the tiger salamander, an endangered species, making it challenging to provide a fast and comprehensive solution.