Coconino County officials say flood mitigation measures put in place north of Flagstaff after the devastating 2022 wildfire season are working.
It follows heavy monsoon rains this month that previously could have triggered debris flows through residential areas.
This week, County crews pumped flooded waters out of a detention basin along Copeland Avenue near Timberline.
Flood District Administrator Lucinda Andreani says they finished work on new storm drains and channels in the area in July.
“Last week we had upwards of an inch of rainfall in a day. That would have created more boulders into the neighborhood and water was funneled to the storm drain system and it worked perfectly just as designed,” Andreani says.
That system, and work they've done in the forest above Copeland Avenue, has cost more than $20 million.
Andreani says they’ll build more measures to protect nearby communities. Those will also protect Highway 89, a crucial road connecting Flagstaff to Utah and tribal lands. Flooding forced the road to close 13 times in 2022 following the Pipeline and Tunnel Fires.
When that road is closed, Andreani says there are serious impacts.
“[A closure can cause] a tremendous impact on the Navajo Nation, and commerce to Page, activity, tourism,” Andreani says.
Final designs for that work are currently in development. Andreani says they hope to complete the work before next year’s monsoon season.
