Comments at Oct. 7, 2008
Board of Supervisors Hearing (Call to Public)

Coming soon—YouTube video of impacted residents

Nancy Freeman's Introductory Comments:

We have a bad flooding problem in an unincorporated region of Sahuarita. Over 1,000 acres are being inundated with 6 inches to 3 feet of water—which translates to over 1,000 acre feet of water being wasted—at every monsoon storm event, The flood water is damaging homes and property of some 100 residents and obstructing access to their homes.

Some 30 complaints have been filed with Flood Control with the same response:

1) We are not going to do anything.

2) You are not allowed to do anything.

3) Buy flood insurance

The contributing factors are

1) Washes, ditches and culverts are silted up—no maintenance in over 10 years.

2) Sahuarita Highlands was permitted without a single flood catchment or control facility, even though it is in a flood plain.

3) Tradition agriculture dams are diverting water on to private land.

4) No maintenance of washes on State Trust Land even though the water from roads is being diverted onto this land.

[Additional cause, sited by Flood Control rep, the following day—"It's rained more in the last five years." I have requested statistical verification of this conjecture.]

Solution:

1) We are asking the County to clear washes, ditches and culverts to their traditional levels.

2) We are asking for County permission to allow us to work with U of A thru AZ Water Institute for a comprehensive plan for actual recharge project(s), so we can obtain matching funds from private corporations who will benefit with increased property values.

Complaints to Pima County Flood Control from 2001 to 2008 from this region

Handout given to Supervisors and Mr. Huckelberry:

Culverts and Washes are silted up

All culverts on Sahuarita Rd are clogged—

Delgado Wash

Near Country Club

East of Country Club


All ditches along Sahaurita Rd. are filled in—



East of Santa Rita Rd.

 

Ditches along Sahuarita Rd have disappeared,
County delivered delivers piles of dirt along side of the road (dozens of examples in region) to further silt up ditches and washes.

This wash used to be deep enough to bury a car underwater

Shots of homes in Delgado Rd. Region


 

Santa Rita Rd. area

Rescue team had no vehicle that could withstand the water levels, they had to borrow a tractor-back hoe

It’s a tough way to go home after school

Home’s not quite the same….

 

Three different homes along Delgado

Water had entered porch during the night

 

Cleaning water out of the living room

 

Many backyards become inundated.

 

 

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