Cave Creek and County to cooperate in flood control
Development spurs joint efforts
by Jennifer Krahe

CAVE CREEK – Just over a decade ago, officials from the Flood Control District of Maricopa County were not welcome in Cave Creek.

With development in the area on the rise, town officials have now decided it’s time to cooperate with the county and come up with a plan to mitigate flooding.

“In Cave Creek, development is happening so fast that we need to get ahead of it, because once developments go in (without taking flooding and runoff into consideration) there are problems for everybody,” said Joe Munoz, public information officer for the district.

Flood control district officials on July 26 gave a presentation to town council members during the regular council session.

About 12 years ago when the flood control district first came to Cave Creek “there was a lot of controversy – ‘we don’t  want you here. Period.’ Cave Creek wasn’t interested,” according to Munoz. But he said town officials recently contacted his office and asked them to come up with a drainage master plan which will identify possible flood hazard areas here.

The plan  will outline flood hazards within approximately 50 square miles, from Carefree Highway north to the Tonto National Forest, west to the 24th Street alignment and east to Carefree’s town limits. Munoz estimated the plan will be completed sometime next year.

The objective of the plan, he went on to say, is to specify what infrastructure needs to be built here–dams, basins, or drainage structures.

However, the town council, concerned about protecting property values and preserving the desert, decided no large flood‑abatement structures will be built. They are willing to consider, on the other hand, allowing drainage basins and basic drainage systems under roadways, Munoz said.

Reach the reporter at jennifer@thedesertadvocate.com.