Santa Rita Region

As the photos below show, during a heavy rain event, water inundates a region of some 15 homes, most of them mobile homes. The water comes from two sources. F.I.C.O. property (see FICO dams) (via Freeport/McMoran and Augusta property) and Davis Rd. (See Delgado area)

The water breaks loose from the wash at Delgado and Davis, runs down the road and enters a barren plot of land owned by Augusta Resource Corp. The situation is exacerbated by a couple of dams that F.I.C.O. keeps augmenting to prevent stormwater flow from going into their pecan groves and destroying the careful leveled fields necessary for irrigaton purposes. See Google maps of area

A complaint was filed by a local landowner, Neil Johnson; however, the flood control department replied that since the flooding was on private land, they had no jurisdiction. (see Letters) BUT the water does originate on public land, particularly roads and washes, and State Trust Land, runs onto private FICO property, where they deal with the stormwater with whatever means available. Even so, the County takes no responsibility to mitigate this problem.


Heading home from school on a tractor/back-hoe

Green Valley Fire Dept. had no vehicle able to withstand the flow,
so they had to use tractor/back-hoe of local residents

The path of the offending water:

FICO restraining (principal) dam along Santa Rita Rd.

Top view of dam, some 50 years old, showing recently disturbed dirt.

Principal dam two days after rain

Secondary dam built due to failures of principal dam to hold stormwater and
apparent increase in stormwater.

Path of stormwater from secondary dam breaks loose and crosses
Freeport McMoran and Augusta Resource properties

Davis Rd. where water crosses from Freeport/McMoran property into Augusta Resource property

Where does all the water come from:

State Trust Land delivers water to the Delgado wash and the FICO dams

More Photos

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