Routine vegetation management and maintenance of the San Lorenzo River levee in order to help flood conveyance will commence this month and should be completed by mid-October, according to the city of Santa Cruz Public Works Department. The annual maintenance is required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prior to the onset of the rainy season and follows environmental guidelines set by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The city stated that the 2024 maintenance project will include structural inspections and needed repairs in addition to maintaining the vegetation along the levee and that the local habitat restoration firm Ecological Concerns Inc., which focuses on vegetation management for rare and endangered species and habitats, will conduct the San Lorenzo River levee maintenance again this year.