Salinas River Flood Risk Reduction and Habitat Improvement Project (Resource Conservation District of Monterey County)

The Salinas River Flood Risk Reduction and Habitat Improvement Project is actively increasing channel capacity along the Salinas River to reduce flood damage to nearby agricultural lands, communities, and infrastructure while restoring ecological function. 

The program developed in 2016 through a public-private partnership among the Resource Conservation District of Monterey County (RCDMC), the Monterey County Water Resources Agency, The Nature Conservancy, and local landowners is constructing secondary channels that mimic the river’s natural braided form. These channels convey floodwaters during large storm events, reduce pressure on levees, protect farmlands from inundation, and reactivate geomorphic processes. With NOAA funding, RCDMC is currently implementing three new secondary channels across 15 acres while removing invasive giant reed (Arundo donax) across 20 acres to further improve flood resilience and habitat conditions.