TUCSON, Ariz. – As part of the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations process, Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07) secured $1.2 million in federal funding for Pima County to construct a storm drain to address stormwater flooding and drainage impacts in the underserved communities of Elvira and Barrio Nopal. The project will gather flood flows from Tucson International Airport and convey them in a stormwater drain to the improved El Vado Wash channel.
On Thursday, December 21 at 10 a.m. AZ, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva will tour the El Vado Wash project site and host a press conference with county and airport officials to discuss the future of the project and impact of federal funding.
WHAT: Site tour and press conference to discuss El Vado Wash storm drain project
WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, December 21 at 10 a.m. AZ at 801 W Calle Medina, Tucson AZ 85756
WHO:
- Rep. Grijalva
- Adelita Grijalva, Chair, Pima County Board of Supervisors
- Dannete Bewley, President/CEO, Tucson Airport Authority
- More to be announced
RSVP: Media should RSVP to Ruben Reyes at Ruben.Reyes@mail.house.gov or (520) 940 7752
BACKGROUND: The total project cost is $1.5 million, with Pima County providing $300,000 in funds which represents a 20% match. The public, as well as 40 homes, will benefit greatly from the project due to reduced risk of flooding, improved transportation reliability, and the potential for additional open space. The project lies in one of Pima County’s higher-concentration census tracts of poverty and racial and ethnic minority representation. One in three individuals in this Census Tract had incomes below the poverty level before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of stormwater infrastructure provides an opportunity to revegetate the area, with benefits including shade, better water quality, traffic calming, community gathering space, and reduced urban heat generation, making the area more resilient with respect to future climate scenarios.