Flood Relief Planned For Phoenix's Ahwatukee Foothills

By Mariana Dale
Published: Wednesday, October 3, 2018 - 8:32am

Depending on where you live, the recent rains might be welcome or worrisome. 

Phoenix’s Ahwatukee Foothills has been plagued by flooding following heavy rainfall in past years

The Arizona Republic reported some neighbors near South Mountain have even taken matters into their own hands, installing walls and barricades to shield their homes from floodwaters. The Maricopa County Flood Control District where Tim Murphy works as a branch manager is one agency tasked with mitigating problems. 

“Solutions could involve constructing a channel to convey flow or, in a real urban area, maybe a storm drain system,” Murphy said.

One project underway right now would help protect homes in the Ahwatukee Foothills area along Mandan Street. 

“Natural runoff from South Mountain is directed toward where the homes are,” Murphy said. “So we are building a channel that will be kind of perpendicular to them and that will collect the water and we will route the flow around the homes.”

The project is estimated to cost $923,200. The Flood Control District and the City of Phoenix have applied for federal funding to pay for up to 75 percent of the project. 

The project is part of the Ahwatukee Foothills’ area master plan which outlines ways to help stop flooding.