Surprise approves 25-year recreational easement with Maricopa County flood control district for McMicken Dam

The Surprise City Council on April 15 approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Flood Control District of Maricopa County to assume maintenance and limited recreational operations on a roughly 3,500-acre easement around the McMicken Dam.

The IGA, approved by resolution 2025-46, authorizes the city to accept a nonexclusive recreational-use easement that stretches from Grand Avenue to Peoria Avenue and to take responsibility for open-space maintenance, trails and potential passive and active recreation improvements. Council also approved a fiscal year 2025 budget amendment to move $278,000 in one-time equipment funding and approved adding four full‑time equivalent (FTE) positions to support operations and stewardship of the easement.

The agreement specifies that the dam’s flood-control function must be preserved. Paul Boffman, identified in the meeting as chief engineer and general manager of the Flood Control District of Maricopa County, told the council the district and city staff worked to “provide the maximum flexibility” for park and recreation uses while protecting flood-control operations. The IGA’s initial term is 25 years with three renewable 25-year terms, for a potential 100-year arrangement.

City staff described responsibilities that would transfer to Surprise: routine maintenance, addressing illegal dumping, fencing and trail upkeep, and preparation of an emergency evacuation plan because the area is intended to inundate during flood events. The Flood Control District will continue to maintain the dam’s core infrastructure and to manage technical flood-control engineering tasks.

Parks staff said the $278,000 requested in FY2025 covers initial one‑time equipment and vehicle purchases and will fund early recruitment steps for park rangers; operating costs for the new positions are expected to appear in FY2026 budgets. The council was told the city currently has just under 300 acres of park land and four park rangers; the new easement would substantially increase land the city oversees and staff argued four additional FTEs are needed to manage it.

Councilmembers discussed the long-term nature of the agreement and emphasized conservation over intensive programming because the easement lies within an inundation zone. Councilmember Timothy Judd described the area as “huge” and said the easement gives the city an opportunity to guide future adjacent development, trailheads and supporting infrastructure. Councilmember Melton asked whether canal operations (Beardsley Canal) would be affected; Boffman said the Flood Control District is coordinating dam rehabilitation and canal improvements with the Maricopa Water Irrigation District and described forthcoming infrastructure work.

The council voted to approve the resolution. The staff presentation said next steps include finalizing the IGA, coordinating with the county Board of Supervisors and beginning master‑planning work to integrate the easement with the city’s parks and recreation master plan.

The council’s packet and staff remarks emphasized the easement is intended primarily for conservation and passive recreation; staff repeatedly said any revenue or fees from the area must be reinvested in recreation and services for residents.