Frank: Flood solutions should put residents first

By Dan Frank

Floodplains are a priority concern for the City of Maricopa because they impact economic development and public safety. You don’t have to look too far back in Maricopa’s history to see impacts of flooding. October 2016 will be 33 years since the record flood of 1983, when Tropical Storm Octave dumped 12 inches of rain in parts of Arizona.  The region was hit again in 1993 by a series of winter storms that had a devastating cumulative impact on the State, but thankfully a lesser impact on Maricopa due to improvements to the channels.

An Army Corps of Engineers report from July 2015 states “…a major flood the magnitude of 1983 today could devastate the entire region.”  As president of the Maricopa Flood Control District Board and a civil engineer with 20+ years of experience in drainage and flood control, floodplains and flooding are priority concerns of mine.

Maricopa is roughly 42 square miles, with approximately 13 square miles of land in the floodplain – roughly 30 percent of our land area.  This is prime development land, and while the Santa Cruz watershed is currently under study by the Army Corps of Engineers, solutions are needed that will benefit residents, stakeholders and facilitate future growth.

One of my concerns is residents who, based on where they live, are required to pay expensive flood insurance premiums, which can be thousands of dollars annually. They purchased their homes in good faith prior to a study which placed them in the floodplain.  I find it intolerable that residents are left to languish in the floodplain when there are implementable solutions.

The potential for flooding should be a concern for everyone in Maricopa. I’ve spoken with residents who recounted the devastation and challenges of the ’83 event. They described how they were cut off from help because access was compromised by flooding. Some had to be evacuated by helicopter due to medical issues.

Another concern is deferred maintenance of the Santa Rosa north of Rancho El Dorado, which could lead to a “debris dam” of trees and brush blocking the bridge, forcing water around the abutments and washing out the roadway.  We need to partner with Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) toward a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding maintenance of the Santa Rosa.

To resolve these issues, we need to mitigate flooding potential. Solutions should put residents needs first, but they will ultimately benefit development overall. We also need to develop a plan with GRIC for maintenance of the waterways north of town.

I look forward to serving as councilmember again. I will offer my 20+ years of experience as a civil engineer to identify and implement solutions for critical flood control issues.  By having a seat on both the Maricopa Flood Control District and Maricopa City Council, I will be able to use my knowledge, experience and expertise networks to bring about positive change to these critical issues.  Thank you.

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Dan Frank is president of the Maricopa Flood Control District Board and a candidate for city council.