In the 15 months since receiving federal funding, the Coconino County Flood Control District (District) has implemented more than $60 million in mitigation measures, including over 240 acres of watershed restoration, more than 250 erosion control structures, and approximately five miles of storm drains and concrete channels.

“This is groundbreaking,” said Judy Begay, Supervisor and Board Chair for District 4. “When I see the speed and scale of the progress that has been made to improve the living conditions for our residents, I am so proud of this team.”

Since March 2024, construction work has been focused on the Copeland Flood Corridor, where the district and its partners have designed a flood mitigation system consisting of 52 acres of restored alluvial fans and approximately 9,000 feet of storm drains capable of channeling more than 2,000 cubic feet of floodwater per second, more than three times the average flow of the Verde River. This system alone represents approximately $12 million of the investment in the area and is expected to be nearly complete by early July. Flood Control District Administrator and Deputy County Administrator Lucinda Andreani described the construction schedule as “lightning fast.”

“We were extremely fortunate to be able to reunite the team of engineers and contractors that led the mitigation efforts after the Schultz Fire in 2010,” Andreani said. “No one knows this terrain or the work more than our partners at Tiffany Construction, Natural Channel Design Engineering and CivilTech Engineering. Without their expertise and tireless efforts, we would not be in the position we are in today.”

The Copeland Flood Corridor flood mitigation system, when completed, will be the seventh flood mitigation system the District has provided to the Pipeline Fire flood area. There are a total of nine watersheds affected by the Pipeline Fire, and only two flood corridors, Peaceful Way and Government Tank, require complete flood mitigation systems. The District will fund mitigation in these areas through a collection of federal grants totaling approximately $130 million, including a $19.3 million PROTECT grant recently awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation. These grants were primarily obtained through programs funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service Emergency Watershed Protection Program and the U.S. Forest Service Good Neighbor Authority, with grant matching assistance from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

“It’s encouraging to see such a high level of state and federal investment in our county,” said Patrice Horstman, District 1 Supervisor and Commission Vice Chair. “This is government working together for the good of our land, our people and our collective future.”

For more information on post-wildfire flood mitigation measures in the Pipeline Fire Flood Area, visit www.coconino.az.gov/SchultzPipelineFireFloodArea.