As a sub-consultant to DR Reed, Verdantas serves as the technical lead in developing and analyzing conceptual designs for the Pajaro Flood Risk Management Project (PFRMP) through the USACE Engineering with Nature Program (EWN). This project builds upon Verdantas' previous work with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), where the Ecological Floodplain Inundation Potential (EcoFIP) toolkit was utilized to identify opportunities for floodplain expansion and quantify the potential benefits of implementing restoration projects in the Pajaro Valley.

The PFRMP is a $599 million initiative aimed at mitigating flood risk along the lower Pajaro River and Corralitos and Salsipuedes Creeks. The project will deliver 100-year flood protection to the City of Watsonville and the town of Pajaro, as well as a combination of 100-year and 25-year flood protection to the surrounding agricultural areas. Flood risk reduction will be achieved through the construction of new levees, the restoration and upgrading of existing levees, and levee setbacks.

The EWN Program has tasked Verdantas with developing multi-benefit conceptual designs within levee setback areas. These designs aim to achieve multiple objectives, including environmental uplift, groundwater recharge, improved habitat metrics for critical species, and geotechnical considerations for sourcing borrow material for levee construction. Conceptual designs are analyzed using hydraulic and sediment transport modeling, and benefits are quantified using the EcoFIP toolkit. Preferred design concepts will help offset construction costs, enhance groundwater sustainability, create habitat for key species, and reduce flood risk to disadvantaged communities.