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Board signs IGA with Surprise to conserve McMicken Dam lands; approves sale of small excess flood-control parcel
Summary
Supervisors approved an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Surprise to conserve about 3,500 acres of flood-control land around McMicken Dam for passive recreation and conservation, and separately approved the sale of surplus Flood Control District parcel R013B.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the City of Surprise on May 21 to allow Surprise to develop, maintain and operate recreational amenities across roughly 3,500 acres of Maricopa County Flood Control District lands in the McMicken Dam project area.
Board members and city leaders described the IGA as a conservation‑first approach: the city will not pave over the dam lands or alter the dam’s flood‑protection mission and will focus on passive recreation such as trails for hiking, biking and equestrian use, limited parks where appropriate, and removal of illegal dumping. The agreement aligns with Surprise’s parks-and-recreation master plan and preserves the flood control function the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built in 1956.
The board also approved two companion flood control items in the same session: (1) an approval of a routine Flood Control District consent item; and (2) a separate action declaring certain portions of flood control parcel R013B as excess and authorizing sale as noted on the agenda. All flood‑control motions passed unanimously.
Why it matters: The IGA transfers responsibility for activation and maintenance of recreational amenities to the City of Surprise while retaining the district’s flood protection function; local leaders emphasized protections for downstream infrastructure including Luke Air Force Base and the need to keep improvements at the city’s expense and not to interfere with the dam’s mission.
Key details - Scope and intent: The City of Surprise will primarily conserve and preserve the roughly 3,500 acres. Limited improvements may include fencing, removal of dumping, activation of the pre‑existing Maricopa County trails and future parks in locations that do not compromise the dam’s primary purpose. - Funding and operations: Surprise representatives said the city will fund improvements and operate the amenities; supervisors confirmed any city‑led improvements must not interfere with the dam’s flood‑protection functions. - Parcel sale: The board also approved declaring certain subdivisions of FCD Parcel R013B as excess and authorized disposition as described in the meeting agenda; the motion passed unanimously.
Board and municipal remarks - Mayor Kevin Sartore and Councilman Chris Judd of the City of Surprise attended and spoke in favor of preserving the area and activating it for low‑impact recreation. They credited local leadership—Supervisor Lesko and others—for advancing the agreement. - Supervisors praised intergovernmental cooperation, emphasized the need to preserve natural spaces amid regional growth and underscored that any city improvements must protect the dam’s mission to safeguard infrastructure from flooding.
What happens next: The City of Surprise will proceed under the terms of the IGA to plan and implement conservation and limited recreational activations on the identified McMicken Dam lands; the county will track compliance with flood‑control protections.
Ending: The unanimous vote showed county and municipal leaders aligned on a conservation‑oriented reuse of flood control lands while reiterating that the dam’s flood‑protection functions remain paramount.
