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Navajo Nation nears completion of Chinle berm project designed to prevent flooding

Navajo Nation officials inspect the nearly completed Chinle Wash berm project designed to prevent flooding in local residential areas.
Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President
Navajo Nation officials inspect the nearly completed Chinle Wash berm project designed to prevent flooding in local residential areas.

Navajo Nation officials are nearing completion of a newly restored wash berm project in Chinle.

It’s designed to help prevent flooding in residential areas that have experienced significant water damage from monsoon rains and spring runoff from the Chuska Mountains.

"We at the Chinle Chapter sincerely appreciate the Office of the President and Vice President, Division Directors, NDOT, and all the other entities for their dedication in providing a safer environment for our Chinle community members. We have had a lot of flooding that has impacted our livelihood in the past, so we appreciate how they've taken the time to prioritize and protect our goals as a community," said Chinle Chapter President Jumbo-Fitch in a press release.

The Navajo Division of Transportation along with the Chinle Chapter and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as of last week had completed nearly a mile-and-a-half of the two-mile section along the Chinle Wash.

They expect the project to be finished by the end of next week.

The new wash stands about six feet tall and has a broader base than previous berms.

Officials say the area has experienced considerable flooding that’s threatened livelihoods and public safety and damaged property.