Contributed Article
GILA COUNTY – Gila County will hold a public meeting for the “Design for Flood Protection at Campaign Creek in Roosevelt Estates Community”.
The meeting aims to gather public input before the design of flood protection along Campaign Creek is finalized.
It is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 9, at the Roosevelt Baptist Church, 18659 AZ-188, Roosevelt.
If you have any questions, call Jeffrey A. Despain, P.E., CFM, Floodplain Administrator with Gila County Flood Control District, at 928-474-7116.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is providing Gila County with federal financial assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to mitigate impacts from flooding by designing and constructing bank protection along Campaign Creek.
The purpose is to eliminate future property damage, health and safety risks associated with flooding of Campaign Creek, exacerbated by the 2019 Woodbury Fire and resulting change in the creek’s flow pattern.
The project is in an area with undetermined flood hazards, as depicted on the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) of Dec. 3, 2007.
The FIRM shows the proposed action lies within Zone D, an area that potentially has a moderate to high risk of flooding, but where the probability has not been determined.
Although flood hazards are undetermined, the project area has experienced repetitive flooding from Campaign Creek since the 1960s.
During phase one of the project, several homes were acquired, and the area was restored to its natural state.
Phase two–this phase–consists of construction of bank protection along both sides of Campaign Creek and reconstruction of Mesquite Street across Campaign Creek as a low water crossing.
FEMA determined that the proposed project is the only practicable alternative available; therefore, the proposed action must occur within the floodplain.
The proposed action would have no significant adverse impact on the floodplain and would benefit the area by reducing the risk of flood damage. Therefore, measures to minimize the effects on the floodplain are not necessary.
Gila County has declared that the proposed action conforms to local floodplain standards and would be responsible for the management, construction, and maintenance of the proposed action.
