Delgado Road Area

In the 1930 thru 1940 ’s, irrigated cotton fields existed in the region, including the properties now owned by Freeport McMoran and Augusta Resource. In order to control the stormwater and to prevent sheet flooding from inundating the cotton fields, a defined wash was dug with a large 15 ft. dam on the west side and a lower 4 ft. dam on the east side by those cotton farmers.

Most of the cotton farms were sold to Keith Walden and Henry Crown in the 1940's, a millionaire (at that time, a billionaire when he died in 1990.) They bought the Continental Farms and eventually changed the crop to pecans. See F.I.C.O. history. However, the offending property, the Davis Farm, was not included and was in the hands of Fidelity Trust when Cyprus-Pima Mining Company purchased it in 1990—probably for water rights. With time, Delgaldo Rd. and the area east were slowly populated with a predominance of workers from Hughes who wanted their haven in the country. Obviously, they did not build their homes where there was regular summer flooding.

Even though there has been a drought for the past ten years, the flood water has increased to the point that it jumps the wash boundaries where the wash crosses unimproved Davis Rd. From there, it runs down the road to another low spot. En route it created an offshoot that creates a small mosquito infested lake during the monsoon season. At the north end of the temporary lake, the water finds its way back into the main wash. FICO built the wash at one time and is responsible for its maintenance, according to a (Pima County Flood Control permit) issued last year.

There is still excess water that runs down Davis Rd., innundates the property owned by Augusta Resource mining company for their well field, then innundates 15 mobile homes and community garden, then rushes on to Sahaurita Rd. to add to the well-known flooding problem there.

See maps of region

Photos of area:

Dam to the west of Delgado Wash, created before any jurisdiction by state

Looking south on the dam, note signs that water is going over the dam.

Breach of the dam that was relieving some of the water delivered to Davis Rd. and on....
It was repaired at the order of Pima County Flood Control on 8/12/08 to the detriment
of every resident in the region at the next monsoon storm.

The four foot dam on the east: The wash has silted up, so at one time this dam would have been six to eight feet high. No one takes responsibility for cleaning it out. Flood Control says it's private property, Phelps Dodge says it's the county, they are afraid to touch it; besides the water delivers from State Trust Land, let them do something.. The locals say it's FICO's responsibility because the farmers built it in the first place. Although the wash held the water in the 1983 and 1993 flood, the excess water eventually started washing out the 4 ft dam on the east side of the wash, thus allowing the water to enter the private property along Delgado, including forming another mosquito infested lake when it rains. The stormwater in the new wash enters the back yards, storage sheds, and a kitchen of the homes along Delgado Rd.

Wash has silted up with sand through the years. Residents are afraid to do anything.

The breach in the 4' dam on the east side of the wash



Exposed roots show depth of erosion in the area

A washed out area that creates a temporary lake in the background, evidence of old berm is on right



Channel created to carry water from back-yard wash back to Delgado Wash

Examples of backyard flooding on Delgado wash, moving from south to north:

Water getting too close for comfort to back porch

Recent Rains have come at night intensifying the fear of the increasing flooding.

Papa's shop has become inundated

Further North on Delgado Rd.

Home north of El Toro on Delgado Rd.




Backyard 2006 flood

Backyard 2005 Flood

What happened inside the home!



Cleaning up



Water in kitchen

Trying to suck water out of kitchen carpet


Excess water from Delgado Wash flows down Davis Rd. turns north because of a restraining dam, where it forms a temporary lake, then joins back up with the original Delgado Wash.

Davis Road morning after rains--looking West

 

Man-made berm to restrain water from going down Davis Rd. (created in 2007)

 

Temporary lake day after rain

North end of lake where it re-enters the main Delgado Wash



The water continues down the wash to stormwater culvert
under Sahuarita Road, plugged on east side

Same culvert, plugged on west side

To make matters worse, at the lowest spot on the south segment of Country Club, there is no facility to catch or direct stormwater. Therefore, a new wash has cut across the State Trust Land property, following a ranch road, to deliver a new deluge of water directly onto Delgado Road that runs onto private property on the front side.

Beginning of new wash: Low spot on Country Club Rd.

New wash follows old ranch road

Evidence of heavy flow in new wash before entering Delgado

Area of delivery of new wash on Delgado Rd.

Washout on Delgado Rd. exposes telephone wire.


Maps of State Trust Land

 

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