CASA GRANDE, Ariz. -- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District and the Pinal County Flood Control District hosted a meeting Nov. 9 to solicit public comment on the Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study for the Lower Santa Cruz River.
"This is the vehicle to seek public input," said Kim Gavigan, the chief of the water resources planning section of the District's Arizona - Nevada Area Office. "Stakeholders help us identify issues, opportunities, and potential solutions during the planning process."
The scoping meeting is the first step of the National Environmental Policy Act process that requires the Corps to consider the environmental consequences of a proposed action, act as an environmental trustee for future generations, attain the most beneficial uses of the environment without risk to health or safety, preserve historic and cultural heritage, achieve a balance between population and resource use, and enhance the quality of renewable resources and encourage recycling.
The LSCR study area is approximately 950 square miles with a long history of damaging floods. In 1983, what was considered a "100-year flood" inundated 600 square miles, causing catastrophic crop damage and significant disruptions to transportation, business and communities.
According the U.S. Geological Survey, an annual exceedance probability flood (100-year flood) has a 1 in 100 chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. Statistically, it also means that a home located in a 1-percent AEP floodplain has a 26-percent chance of being flooded at least once during the course of a 30 year mortgage.
The public comment period is open until Dec. 9. Mail written comments to: Mr. Kenneth Wong, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, CESPL–PD–RQ, 915 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90017.