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Tusayan council reviews completed Drainage Master Plan and next steps for flood protection
Summary
Consultants told the Tusayan Town Council the Tusayan Drainage Master Plan is complete and that a 30% design report advances in‑Town storm drains, detention basins and an upstream flood retarding structure; full construction depends on cultural clearances and federal grants.
The Tusayan Town Council heard a detailed update on the Tusayan Drainage Master Plan (TDMP), with consultants saying the plan is complete and a 30% Design Concept Report (DCR) has been produced to guide future design work. "The Tusayan Drainage Master Plan (TDMP) is complete," said Chris Dusza, PE of Civiltec Engineering, describing the package of in‑Town drainage improvements, detention facilities and the parallel permitting/design track for the Tusayan Pines flood retarding structure.
Consultants described a systemwide approach combining upstream storage, basin modifications and new storm drains to reduce flood depths across Town. JE Fuller Hydrology’s Joe Loverich said modeling of a recent roughly 10‑year event showed large reductions in flood depth and extent, and that main corridors such as Highway 64 and Coconino Wash were modeled at approximately 25‑year protection with the proposed measures. He added that the wastewater treatment plant and two principal tributaries ‘‘are modeled to be protected to the 100‑year level’’ under the proposed configuration, though achieving full 100‑year protection in retrofit scenarios is uncommon.
The 30% report covers in‑Town elements including three storm drain alignments (a dual large storm pipe through town, a set of six 10x8 box culverts near Long Jim Loop and a large concrete channel to convey flows to the National Forest) and three detention facilities (Long Jim Canyon, Middle Wash and Water Tank Wash). Consultants emphasized that the Coconino Wash Flood Retarding Structure (a separate project track) addresses larger watershed detention needs but requires its own federal and state approvals.
Town Manager Clifton said completion of required cultural studies and clearances — which will cover about 450 acres including Town land and adjacent Kaibab National Forest area — is an important prerequisite to seeking construction funding. The Council was told that even with all planned measures implemented, the 100‑year event can still produce flooding locally, but depths would be considerably reduced and critical infrastructure better protected.
Next steps described to the Council include advancing the DCR to 60% design over an estimated nine‑month schedule and completing required cultural and environmental reviews before construction documents are prepared.
