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COCONINO COUNTY — Contractors will begin repairs next week to both on- and off-forest flood mitigation measures in the northern portion of the Schultz Flood area.
This is part of the Brandis Way Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) infrastructure that was damaged during a historic monsoon storm last summer.
Kinney Construction Services, Inc. will conduct repairs to the off-forest flood mitigation measures including the floodwater conveyance channel that runs along Brandis Way to U.S. Route 89. Tiffany Construction Co. will manage repairs to the on-forest measures, which are designed to slow down floodwater and reduce the amount of sediment entering downstream channels. The on-forest flood mitigation repair work will utilize logs harvested from the construction area of the Mormon Lake Road Reconstruction Project.
Work is scheduled to run from 6 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Friday with some weekend work possible starting May 20. Traffic control will be in place as necessary to guide vehicles through the construction zone. Drivers along Brandis Way should expect delays and are encouraged to use extra caution and obey posted speed limits.
The project is slated for completion late this summer, but this is subject to change based on weather and other unforeseen factors.
Flood mitigation repairs are necessary due to an intense rainfall on July 18, 2018 when the northern portion of the Schultz Flood area experienced intense monsoon flooding during the largest recorded storm ever to hit the 2010 Schultz Fire scar. According to the National Weather Service, this was a 1,000-year storm event that produced total rainfall of up to 5.9 inches measured by area rain gauges. This was over double the intensity of rainfall and the level of rainfall that occurred on July 20, 2010 after the Schultz Fire. Although the Schultz Flood mitigation measures performed during this storm, repairs are necessary to restore them to optimal functionality.
For more information please visit www.coconino.az.gov/SchultzFloodInformation