Recent Floods In Sun City
Mother Nature Recent floods in the Sun City are an excellent example of "fooling with Mother Nature." Arroyos are creek beds that are usually dry and covered with plants and trees; they also attract wildlife in search of food and shelter. Arroyos are nature's way of providing natural barriers that can prevent flooding by providing channels for water to drain away from populations. The storm that escalated on August 1, 2006, serves as a warning to local politicians and developers who want to develop the arroyos for profit. These floods could have been prevented (Coronado Neighborhood Association, January, 2005).
The city is expanding due to the growth of the Fort Bliss military installation and also because of the flow of Mexico's middle and upper class. Builders are building wherever possible, and the El Paso City Council has allowed it. Critics have warned of this danger for years. "Failure to address these issues could lead to flooding of homes and businesses during a large storm event," John Walton, a hydrologist at the University of Texas at El Paso, wrote in 2004 to top …show more content…
officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Mr. Walton also stated that the manmade drainage system built to manage arroyo waters was too small and threatened the area. This was true in the west side of the city where homes, stone walls, and businesses were swept away. City leaders and developers were urged to tighten building codes and invest more in securing an infrastructure. City representative Beto O'Rourke stated, "We have to reassess the manmade channels built over the last 100 years. We have to look at more responsible growth" (Corchado, A., August, 2006).
Mayor John Cook was assured by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that an earthen dam that threatened to burst in Ciudad Juarez and flood downtown El Paso would hold. The engineers also determined that none of the city's drainage systems, dams, or reservoirs failed. City Manager, Joyce Wilson remarked that, "The infrastructure of this community performed well, it has performed well under devastating conditions ..storms of this magnitude likely only hit the city once every 500 years or so". (USA Today, August 2006). In opposition to the City Manager's remark John Walton said that this was not a 100-year or even 500- year storm, but a 50-year storm and this could easily happen again (Corchado, A., August, 2006).
Unfortunately, it took something like "Storm 2006" to put El Paso on the map, as the news of the storm's destruction made the local and national news and newspapers; senators, governors and congressmen came to survey the damage.
Congressman Silvestre Reyes stated, "If we don't have the underground drainage, then the only recourse the water has is to go through arroyos, through streets and through neighborhoods. That is totally unacceptable" (KFOX TV, 2006).
The city's ad hoc committee on arroyos has been looking at the Albuquerque and Tucson regulations that protect arroyos and regulate their development. Both cities have extensive policies and regulations for the development of arroyos. The wording in El Paso's land-use plan addresses the issue of protecting arroyos, and a 1997 ordinance calls for their preservation; however, that ordinance has never been enforced (Crowder, D.,
2005).
In summary, ordinances to preserve and protect arroyos must be regulated. Outdated ordinances need to be rewritten. New arroyo preservation and open space ordinances and policies are planned for the future, but the guidelines must be followed. El Pasoans deserve a better explanation of the city's drainage system, especially during rains. El Pasoans were caught off guard during the heavy downpours that have been raging for a month. Now is the time to determine where property owners stand, as far as flood risks due to new development is concerned. Property owners report that their land now floods when flooding did not occur in the past. Building up of arroyos is exacerbated by the city's antiquated drainage systems. The City and engineering experts have to get together and find a solution before more damage is done. They need to work with Mother Nature, and not be surprised by Mother Nature (El Paso Times, 2006).
The city is expanding due to the growth of the Fort Bliss military installation and also because of the flow of Mexico's middle and upper class. Builders are building wherever possible, and the El Paso City Council has allowed it. Critics have warned of this danger for years. "Failure to address these issues could lead to flooding of homes and businesses during a large storm event," John Walton, a hydrologist at the University of Texas at El Paso, wrote in 2004 to top …show more content…
officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Mr. Walton also stated that the manmade drainage system built to manage arroyo waters was too small and threatened the area. This was true in the west side of the city where homes, stone walls, and businesses were swept away. City leaders and developers were urged to tighten building codes and invest more in securing an infrastructure. City representative Beto O'Rourke stated, "We have to reassess the manmade channels built over the last 100 years. We have to look at more responsible growth" (Corchado, A., August, 2006).
Mayor John Cook was assured by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that an earthen dam that threatened to burst in Ciudad Juarez and flood downtown El Paso would hold. The engineers also determined that none of the city's drainage systems, dams, or reservoirs failed. City Manager, Joyce Wilson remarked that, "The infrastructure of this community performed well, it has performed well under devastating conditions ..storms of this magnitude likely only hit the city once every 500 years or so". (USA Today, August 2006). In opposition to the City Manager's remark John Walton said that this was not a 100-year or even 500- year storm, but a 50-year storm and this could easily happen again (Corchado, A., August, 2006).
Unfortunately, it took something like "Storm 2006" to put El Paso on the map, as the news of the storm's destruction made the local and national news and newspapers; senators, governors and congressmen came to survey the damage.
Congressman Silvestre Reyes stated, "If we don't have the underground drainage, then the only recourse the water has is to go through arroyos, through streets and through neighborhoods. That is totally unacceptable" (KFOX TV, 2006).
The city's ad hoc committee on arroyos has been looking at the Albuquerque and Tucson regulations that protect arroyos and regulate their development. Both cities have extensive policies and regulations for the development of arroyos. The wording in El Paso's land-use plan addresses the issue of protecting arroyos, and a 1997 ordinance calls for their preservation; however, that ordinance has never been enforced (Crowder, D.,
2005).
In summary, ordinances to preserve and protect arroyos must be regulated. Outdated ordinances need to be rewritten. New arroyo preservation and open space ordinances and policies are planned for the future, but the guidelines must be followed. El Pasoans deserve a better explanation of the city's drainage system, especially during rains. El Pasoans were caught off guard during the heavy downpours that have been raging for a month. Now is the time to determine where property owners stand, as far as flood risks due to new development is concerned. Property owners report that their land now floods when flooding did not occur in the past. Building up of arroyos is exacerbated by the city's antiquated drainage systems. The City and engineering experts have to get together and find a solution before more damage is done. They need to work with Mother Nature, and not be surprised by Mother Nature (El Paso Times, 2006).