Aj Buys 76 Acres For Flood Prevention Facility

APACHE JUNCTION - The city of Apache Junction announced July 30 that it had purchased 76 acres for its federally funded Weekes Wash Regional Multi-Use Retention Facility project.

Federal Emergency Management Agency funding went to the project in 2023 - the largest grant by the federal agency in Arizona at $44.5 million - but it still has some hoops to jump through before it becomes a reality.

But now, the city has the land on which it can be built.

The Weekes Wash facility is a project intended to reduce flood risk for around 4,000 properties situated around the wash by blocking and rerouting floodwater and debris.

Additionally, "the facility is expected to improve public safety for our first responders who undertake substantial risks during search and rescue operations, protect utility infrastructure, reduce post-storm cleanup costs and potentially remove many downstream properties from the FEMA-designated floodplain, saving residents on flood insurance premiums and improving overall quality of life," the July 30 Apache Junction press release read.

According to a FEMA map, Weekes Wash is designated as a special flood hazard area.

This project came about in part after particularly damaging floods during a July 2022 monsoon rainstorm. Dangerous conditions were caused as well as damage to residential and commercial properties when one to three inches of rain fell in two hours.

City of Apache Junction officials applied for the FEMA grant, among others, in order to mitigate future events.

The catastrophic flooding in Texas earlier this month that claimed the lives of at least 136 people, with more than 100 dead alone in Kerr County, continues to raise major questions about flood preparedness, alert systems, rescue efforts and federal aid assistance.

The Texas flooding placed front-andcenter the urgency and importance of preparedness for lightning fast flash flooding.

The project is not yet fully funded and the city is looking into pursuing a couple different avenues - including a Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona loan or partnerships with "regional stakeholders" - to cover the projected total of $80 to $100 million.

Now, and since the grant was awarded in 2023, the project is placed under an Environmental and Historic Preservation Review. When cleared, more evaluations and design tweaking will commence before, finally, onsite construction can start.