Flagstaff hosted a tour of the Rio de Flag Flood Control Project for Congressman Tom O’Halleran and members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this week. Mayor Coral Evans led the tour, showing officials the key locations where work needed to be done. The USACE allocated $1-million in federal funds in 2017 and another $1.3-million in 2018. The funding has allowed USACE to resume work on design plans for the project. The purpose of the plans is to reduce the projected damages and economic losses of a major flood event by containing the 100-year flood within the proposed improvements. The feasibility report proposes to contain the 100-year flood event through construction of 1.6-miles of flood control channel improvements, a 72-acre detention basin, property acquisition, utility relocations and three new bridges. A significant flood event would directly affect more than half of Flagstaff’s nearly 70,000 residents and would result in damages to approximately 1,500 structures valued at over $916-million.
