Pajaro River Watershed workshop looks at adaptation strategies

This article was written by BenitoLink intern Brea Spencer. Lea este artículo en español aquí.

Officials from around the Central Coast discussed cover cropping, increasing river buffers and other climate change adaptation strategies in a series of workshops on the Pajaro River Watershed Resilience Program. 

The Aug. 19 workshop at Watsonville Civic Plaza is the third of five that aim to involve the community in the group’s watershed resilience plan. The program is funded by the California Department of Water Resources, which is dedicating $2 million to helping “the watershed better prepare for future climate extremes,” according to the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency website.

Each workshop has tackled different questions regarding the future of the watershed, and how communities can come together to support it. The goal of the series is to bring a holistic approach to management and allow experts in science and policy to discuss solutions for a more climate-resilient watershed.

Ellen Cross, a facilitator for the event series, said that it’s a trial run to see how watersheds across the state can be managed. She said the goal of the event is to get feedback from the community and include that input in a document that is refined throughout the workshops. 

“We have to recognize that water knows no boundaries,” said Cross. 

The watershed encompasses parts of San Benito, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Monterey counties. Cross said that out of roughly 82 attendees, at least 12 were from the upper watershed, which includes Hollister and San Benito County. 

She said that if everyone worked independently, she fears they wouldn’t be doing enough, which is why her group is bringing people together. She said there is a need for many voices and varied perspectives, “and that no matter who we are or what we bring to the discussion, we all face a common external threat, climate change.”

Michael Panitchpakdi, project manager with San Benito Agricultural Land Trust, said his group wants to incorporate lessons from the event into the San Benito Wildfire Resilience Project. He added that attending the workshop gave perspective on how the watershed system impacts wildfire risk and resiliency.

“Climate change is going to make the future different than the past,” said Marcus Mendiola, Water Conservation and Outreach Specialist with the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency. 

On the minds of many attendees of the event, he said, was water quality. This led to a discussion of agriculture, specifically the practice of “cover cropping” which according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is used for controlling erosion, suppressing weeds, reducing soil compaction, and increasing the soil’s moisture and nutrient content. 

Beyond cover cropping, the group discussed giving more space to rivers to foster “greater buffers to aid in habitat creation and water quality,” said Mendiola.

Other adaptation strategies were discussed to prioritize important projects that have a short delay and great impact. 

Reema Shakra, principal for Rincon Consultants’ Sustainability Climate Resilience practice, focused on the importance of prioritizing risks and adaptation strategies based on many factors, including having a multi-system impact.

One example she noted was the Accelerated Drought Response Project from the San Benito County Water District. 

The project’s goal, Shakra said, is “installing new aquifer recharge wells to help capture more water during wet years and then to use that water that was stored during drought years.” The project’s appeal is that it is a “built project, and a capital investment project, looking at upgrading an existing facility.”

According to Shakra, the project has gone through the environmental permitting process and “will be built in the near term.”

“Adaptation looks like contribution from local municipalities, like Hollister and San Juan Bautista,” said Mendiola, referring to the area’s higher rainfall in recent years. 

One thing San Benito County is focusing on, he said, is imported water. 

While importing water has been greatly beneficial to the watershed, Mendiola said the county must prepare for a future where there is less water available from places such as the Central Valley.

San Benito County can diversify its water portfolio by adopting recycling programs, recharging its groundwater, and conserving water in urban and agricultural settings, he said. 

“Slow it, spread it and sink it,” is how he describes not letting any precipitation go to waste, because, he said, “climate models are starting to show we’re likely to get the same amount of rain, but instead of over six months, we will get it over three.” 

This concentration of rain means San Benito County residents need to be smart with their water.

“Water is going to continue to become a more precious resource throughout this watershed,” Mendiola said.

He said he encourages locals to reduce their water usage and recycle it where possible, adding that using less water also saves energy given that “one-fifth of all energy used in this state goes to water.”

“Don’t let water only be used once,” Mendiola said. He suggested residents use runoff water for gardens and outdoor spaces and growing native plants that require less water.

Residents are encouraged to participate in future discussions and share their input. The next workshop is Oct. 4 and is scheduled to be remote, though Mendiola hopes the workshop series will make a stop in San Benito County. 

“I’m not even an activist, and I don’t know what an activist would say,” said Cross. “but I would say we are all potential climate refugees.”

Learn more about the Watershed Resilience Program at the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency website. 

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