SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) San Francisco District, in collaboration with the Pajaro Storm Drain Maintenance District (PSDMD) has prepared a draft Detailed Project Report and Environmental Assessment (DPR/EA) for the Watsonville Slough Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Section 1135 Study under the Continuing Authorities Program (CAP) in Santa Cruz County, California.
On July 28, 2025, USACE released a letter announcing the availability of the draft DPR/EA for public review and comment. The comment period is scheduled to end on Aug. 27, 2025. The draft DPR/EA and associated appendices can be accessed by navigating your web browser to the website below and clicking on the “Watsonville Slough CAP Section 1135 Ecosystem Restoration Project Draft Detailed Project Report and Environmental Assessment” under the title called “Project Reports” in the upper left-hand side of the page to open the report document.
https://www.spn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects-and-Programs/Current-Projects/Watsonville-Slough-Estuary-Restoration-CAP-Section-1135/
Written comments may be emailed to: WatsonvilleSloughCAP1135@usace.army.mil
About the Study
The Watsonville Slough Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Study was conducted under CAP Section 1135 of Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986 (P.L. 99-662). CAP projects are authorized to plan, design, and implement certain types of water resources projects without additional project-specific authorization. The purpose of this study is to investigate and determine the extent of federal interest in a plan to restore and/or enhance the aquatic ecosystem along the lower Watsonville Slough in Santa Cruz County, California.