By Rebekah Morris for AZBEX
The Weekes Wash Multi-Use Detention Facility received an infusion of federal funds last week as part of an announcement. A total of $49M will be invested in Arizona flood control projects from the bipartisan infrastructure law led by Senator Kyrsten Sinema and shaped by Senator Mark Kelly, $44.43M of that is being directed to the City of Apache Junction and Pinal County Flood Control District for this project.
The federal funding will cover approximately half the nearly $100M project.
The full scope of the project has not yet been defined but is easily the largest capital project to come to the City. According to Ted Wolff, Public Works Director for the City of Apache Junction: “the project can impound about 1,400 acre-feet of water and involves about 1.4M CY of earth movement and structural concrete for both an unregulated outlet structure and an emergency spillway.”
The facility will collect floodwater, sediment, and storm debris during a 100-year storm event, align with the flow path of Weekes Wash and its historical outfall by reducing the peak discharge of water and sediment, and recharge the groundwater naturally using the impounded stormwater. The facility will also use nature-based solutions, including permitted surface recharge, to enhance water resource resilience and reduce reliance on the Colorado River.
Many More Hoops to Clear Before Construction Could Begin
Significant coordination between government entities and obtaining the needed funds will need to occur before the project can come to fruition. While the federal funds will supply about half the projected budget, the remaining funding sources are not yet secured. This capital expenditure is larger than the entire annual budget of the City of Apache Junction.
Wolff also stated that ‘In addition to funding the budget shortfall, land needs to be acquired from the Arizona State Land Department and the Bureau of Reclamation lands administered through the Salt River Project.’
Black & Veatch, as a consultant to Dibble Engineering who is working through an on-call contract with Pinal County is providing initial scoping, budget and scheduling to the City via an Intergovernmental Agreement.
The earliest construction would happen is 2026 and would take roughly two years to complete.
Apache Junction not Only City to Receive Federal Funds for Flood Control
The City of Buckeye will also receive $4.57M to launch the Storm Water Flooding Mitigation Improvement Project – reducing and eliminating flooding problems, protecting structures and streets from floodwater, improving groundwater, and much more.