NORTH
VALLEY – Maricopa County is working to identify five miles
of new floodplain in the North Valley and on a plan to mitigate
flooding problems.
The
Upper New River Area Drainage Master Plan will cover 97
square miles within north Phoenix, Peoria, and unincorporated
areas of the county.
Theresa
Pinto of the Flood Control District of Maricopa County said
most of the newly delineated floodplain is state trust land
south of Carefree Highway. Anthem west and east of Interstate
17 is basically out of the floodplain.
The
district hosted a public meeting Tuesday night in New River
to get input from area residents about any flooding problems
they may have experienced.
Incorporated
within the plan will be the area’s natural drainage features,
to complement the “physical and natural environment,” according
to the district’s Web site. This typically costs less than
implementing flood mitigation measures after development
has occurred. Planners and builders can then use the master
plan to regulate development.
The
county plans to identify flood hazards, Federal Emergency
Management Administration (FEMA) floodplain delineations
for selected washes, and tributaries and reaches of the
Upper New River that should remain undisturbed based on
flooding issues, the Web site states. The county will also
perform an evaluation of the erosion and sedimentation patterns
and characteristics of the Upper New River area.
Mortgage
lenders generally require flood insurance on any houses
located within a 100‑year floodplain, said Tiffany
Parham, spokeswoman for Paramount Equity Mortgage, Phoenix.
Pinto
noted most developers do not build on a floodplain because
the houses have to be elevated above the ground, which is
more costly to construct.
For
more information, email Theresa Pinto, project manager of
the Flood Control District of Maricopa County, at tmp@mail.maricopa.gov.
Reach
the reporter at kathleen@thedesertadvocate.com.
