A total of $49 million will be invested in Arizona flood control projects – including a legacy project in Apache Junction -- from the bipartisan infrastructure law led by Senator Kyrsten Sinema and shaped by Senator Mark Kelly.
The City of Apache Junction will receive $44.43 million to build a flood control facility on Weekes Wash, and the City of Buckeye will receive $4.57 million to launch the Storm Water Flooding Mitigation Improvement Project – reducing and eliminating flooding problems, protecting structures and streets from floodwater, improving groundwater, and much more.
“Communities like Buckeye and Apache Junction regularly experience floods that threaten the safety of Arizona businesses and families. The funds I secured in our bipartisan infrastructure law will help our state better prevent and recover from future floods so Arizona communities can have peace of mind,” said Sinema, co-author and lead negotiator of the bipartisan infrastructure law.
“As extreme weather events become more common and more severe, we must do more to proactively protect Arizona communities. This funding will help protect Apache Junction and Buckeye so they can continue to grow and invest in their future,” said Kelly.
Sinema and Kelly’s bipartisan infrastructure law allocated a historic $7 billion to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help protect communities from natural disasters like floods.
“This is a legacy project that will help generations to come in Apache Junction,” said Apache Junction Mayor Chip Wilson. “This could save lives and millions in damage by holding back catastrophic floodwaters from monsoon storms. We are very grateful to Senators Sinema and Kelly for seeing the importance of this issue and helping us address a long-needed concern.”
Apache Junction’s new flood control facility will make the downstream community safer and reduce the need for search and rescue operations in flooding events. Thanks to Sinema and Kelly’s infrastructure law, the facility will collect floodwater, sediment, and storm debris during a 100-year storm event, align with the flow path of Weekes Wash and its historical outfall by reducing the peak discharge of water and sediment, and recharge the groundwater naturally using the impounded stormwater. The facility will also use nature-based solutions, including permitted surface recharge, to enhance water resource resilience and reduce reliance on the Colorado River.
Many of Buckeye’s homes, as well as the historic downtown area, face flooding each year. The $4.57 million Sinema and Kelly secured for the Storm Water Flooding Mitigation Improvement Project will connect the drainage system to existing irrigation canals and build a floodwater retention basin on a vacant lot. The proposed drainage and retention basin system will offer protection for a 10-year storm event to divert floodwaters away from at-risk areas and improve road safety as well.
Sinema led bipartisan Senate negotiations with Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio that included Senator Kelly and senators from both parties.
The bipartisan infrastructure law was supported by groups including The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, The National Association of Manufacturers, The AFL-CIO, The National Retail Federation, The Bipartisan Policy Center, North America’s Building Trades Unions, the Outdoor Industry Association, The American Hotel and Lodging Association, The National Education Association, as well as hundreds of mayors across all 50 states.