Local leaders describe project barriers: Woodland, Pajaro and coastal valleys seek streamlined permitting and regional solutions

Local officials and regional agencies used the Assembly hearing to describe on-the-ground barriers to completing flood projects, including permitting delays, funding limits and local political dynamics.

Ken Hyatt, city manager of Woodland, described a project authorized by the Army Corps that would protect the city but not a nearby agricultural area. A local 2002 ballot measure and a subsequent campaign blocked a later city-backed ballot to proceed with a similar project. "The opposition was very persuasive and well funded and convinced the voters that it was not in the interest of our community," Hyatt said. He asked the state to help identify broader solutions that gain community support and asked for study of flood-informed reservoir operations upstream on Cache Creek.

Mark Strudley, general manager of the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency, said coastal flood plains have much less room for setback or multi-use floodplains than the Central Valley because high-value, multi-harvest crops and dense development occupy the lowlands. He described an approach in Pajaro that combines setback levees with off-channel excavation to provide habitat, groundwater recharge and reduced construction carbon costs. Strudley urged regulators to partner earlier with local agencies so designs can be developed collaboratively rather than adversarially.

Why this matters: Local buy-in, land availability, and regulatory processes shape whether technically feasible flood projects can be built in time to reduce risk. Several witnesses urged tailored permitting pathways and more resourcing for regulators to enable collaborative design.

Key local points

- Woodland: A court interpretation of previous ballot language and a well-funded opposition campaign blocked a city measure to adopt a Corps-like plan; the city is pursuing a new study to identify a comprehensive solution that could win broader support.

- Pajaro and coastal valleys: Constrained flood plains and year-round agriculture limit options for large setback floodplains; practitioners are pursuing hybrid designs (setbacks plus off-channel excavation and habitat enhancements) that seek multi-benefit outcomes.

- Regulatory practice: Panelists said regulators often lack resources to engage collaboratively; several witnesses recommended legislative or policy changes to provide a permitting pathway for flood-resiliency projects and to fund regulator participation.

Ending

Local leaders urged the Assembly to support tailored, well-resourced permitting pathways, regional planning, and funding streams that allow communities to combine risk reduction with habitat, recharge and recreational benefits.