In 2024, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) selected the Pajaro River Watershed as one of five watersheds to pilot its watershed resilience program. On May 5, following 18 months of development and collaboration across public agencies, tribal representatives, agricultural leaders and other stakeholders, the program’s advisory group released the official Pajaro River Watershed Resilience Plan.
The initiative is supported by a $2 million grant from DWR and administered by Pajaro Valley Water. It was prompted by climate hazards, including flooding, drought and wildfires, that have exposed vulnerabilities in communities and economies reliant on the watershed. It also responds to recent natural disasters and aging infrastructure, most notably the 2023 Pajaro River levee breach, which flooded more than 2,000 acres of strawberry fields and displaced thousands of residents.
“By aligning priorities and working together, we strengthen the region’s ability to acquire funding, implement projects and deliver meaningful benefits to communities, agriculture and ecosystems,” said Brian Lockwood, general manager of PV Water, in a press release.
The watershed spans approximately 1,300 square miles across four counties—Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz. About 90 percent of the watershed’s water supply comes from groundwater, placing the region at the intersection of critical water supply needs, agriculture, urban and rural communities, and climate risk. Roughly 84 percent of that supply is used for agriculture.
The watershed was selected for several reasons. In addition to recent disasters and the region's heavy reliance on groundwater, key factors include elevated risks facing agricultural and rural communities, and the presence of highly siloed agencies across four counties, resulting in fragmented governance. The Pajaro River also drains into Monterey Bay, a 6,000-square-mile national marine sanctuary supporting thousands of aquatic plant and animal species, as well as local fishing economies. It also holds deep cultural significance to many, including diverse tribal communities.
The plan establishes a framework to coordinate with partners on advancing “keystone actions,” along with projects identified in the report. These include floodplain restoration, groundwater recharge, agricultural land stewardship and a mix of nature-based and infrastructure solutions designed to reduce climate risks while supporting water supply reliability and local communities.
State officials plan to use the Pajaro River watershed as a test case for how counties can integrate watershed-scale climate planning into implementation. The effort also builds on existing work in the region, including Sustainable Groundwater Management Act efforts, recycled water programs and flood management projects.
“I was born in this watershed and lived my whole life in this watershed. It’s a watershed that's close to my heart,” Lockwood says. “I'm very excited because in life they say the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, and this is a massive step in the right direction. There are many climate challenges we face and I hope this will help us get prepared as soon as possible so that we can all live in this watershed sustainably into the future.”