It bottlenecks in places, is too narrow and is built from sand. In order for the river channel to be effective, sediment will have to be removed every three years, Reiller claims. When I asked Reiller what kind of vegetation they were going to plant on the benches to replace the trees, he said they are planning to use turf. He said turf is better than nothing but that it has a lower habitat value than trees. Willows, he said have a high habitat value and are the recommended tree for river benches.
Willows are among the trees removed.
Reiller says that much of the damage and destruction which has occurred on the Pajaro River is due to a lack of standard engineering practices. Decision makers have to realize that standard engineering practices need to be implemented before correction measures can be taken. He says that the crisis management decisions made by county officials have driven up costs without providing greater flood protection. I left the task force meeting feeling uneasy about the information I received from Santa Cruz County agencies, and skeptical about their assurances. I remind myself that these are the same people who made the decision to denude the Pajaro benchlands of vegetation because of pressure from special interests.