City of Flagstaff Pipeline West Flood Area – 2023 Monsoon Season Preparation

PREPARATION FOR THE 2023 MONSOON SEASON

The City of Flagstaff has been working throughout the winter to advance flood mitigation projects and prepare for the 2023 monsoon season. Below is a list of efforts that are currently underway, as well as efforts that are planned for the spring of 2023.

• Community meetings for both the Spruce Wash (Museum flood area) and the Schultz Creek Watershed (Pipeline West flood area) will be held in late April or early May to provide an opportunity for residents to receive updates and ask questions.
• An updated flood risk assessment map for the Schultz Creek Watershed is being developed by JE Fuller and will be released to residents prior to the 2023 monsoon season. An updated flood risk assessment map for the Spruce Wash was sent out in February and can be viewed here. The updated maps will also be available during the community meetings so that residents can review the maps with engineers.
• All open channels and drains in the affected areas will be assessed and cleared as soon as the snowpack has decreased to the point where staff can access manholes and channels. This will likely occur in late April or early May.
• In May, residents will be able to request property-specific engineering assessments of their short-term mitigations (such as sandbags and other barriers), so that any changes can be completed before the start of the monsoon season.
• The City’s stockpile of sandbags and sandbag materials will be made available to residents to repair damaged or broken sandbags prior to monsoon season. Sandbags that are undamaged will not need to be replaced. Further information on the refresh of short-term mitigations will also be shared during the spring community meetings.
• The design of infrastructure improvements is currently underway for both the Spruce Wash and the Schultz Creek Watershed areas. Project-specific updates will be shared as they become available.

Stay tuned for additional updates on monsoon preparation and an invitation to the community meetings.