New Floodplain Study is a Major Accomplishment for Marana

Op-Ed

New floodplain study is a major accomplishment for Marana

By Gabrielle Giffords, Congresswoman from District 8

WHISKEY is for drinkin' and water is for fightin'.

Among the many sayings associated with the American West, few are as old - or maybe as true - as that one.

As residents of a region in which rainfall is all too rare, we know that water is our most precious resource. But westerners also recognize that water can be a potentially destructive force. You don't have to live in Arizona very long to realize that a single, powerful storm can quickly transform a bone-dry wash into a raging torrent.

This is why I am pleased to join with Marana's elected leaders, residents and the business community in celebrating the recent completion of a study of the town's floodplain. This three-volume study - a highly detailed map of the town's floodprone areas - provides Marana the tools it needs to ensure public safety and prepare for future growth.

The study, however, did not come without a fight - a fight I was proud to take on for my constituents in Marana.

The problem began in September 2007 when the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued draft maps of proposed floodplain changes in Marana. FEMA prepared these maps without a detailed study. Even worse, the agency applied stringent new, one-size-fits-all criteria for levees that ignored the potential mitigating effects of the Central Arizona Project canal, Interstate-10 and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. This was a reversal of the agency's previous position that these structures could hold back or divert large amounts of water.

But because these structures were not built as levees, they could not meet federal levee certification requirements. This meant that FEMA's draft maps would automatically put large swaths of Marana into a potentially high-risk floodplain. According to the town, the affected land included everything between the Santa Cruz River and either the CAP canal or the railroad tracks, from the county line to Ina Road.

The on-the-ground implications of this sweeping, arbitrary move were devastating. Marana's quality of life and economy were sure to suffer as residents would be forced to buy expensive flood insurance and builders would be forced to halt projects that had already been approved. Also at stake were a hospital and a federally-funded low income housing project planned for the northwest part of the town. These projects could not be built in a floodplain.

As Marana's representative in Washington, I knew immediately that something needed to be done. In October 2007, I promised Mayor Ed Honea I would pursue any and all options to convince FEMA that their one-size-fits-all approach ignored common sense.

The town needed time to study the actual impact of its levee-like structures but FEMA was initially unwilling to cooperate. Working closely with town officials, business leaders, and Senators Jon Kyl and John McCain, we successfully forced FEMA to allow a thorough study of the floodplain.

To demonstrate just how serious we were, I introduced legislation with Republican Rep. Steven LaTourette of Ohio that would have required FEMA to consider the flood-mitigation effects of levee-like structures as it updated its flood maps. In the end, this bill was not necessary because FEMA got the point. On December 18, 2007, the agency announced that it would give Marana the time it needed to conduct a study of levee-like structures.

This is the study that was made public last week, on August 26. As a result of this comprehensive examination of the floodplain, we now know that:

The size of the floodprone area was reduced from approximately 19 square miles to 3 square miles;

The number of structures in the floodprone areas dropped from approximately 2,000 to 250; and

The cost of flood insurance for homes in the floodprone areas will be cut.

Public safety is the ultimate reason we must have accurate flood mapping. This is especially true for a fast-growing town like Marana, which has seen its population swell from 13,500 in 2000 to more than 35,000 today. I believe the recently completed floodplain study gives the federal government and town leaders the hard facts and scientific data they need to protect the community.

Because the study must still be reviewed and accepted by FEMA, it's too early to say the fight is over. We should not celebrate with a glass of whiskey just yet. FEMA has shown a willingness to work with Marana that bodes well. I am hopeful that this fight soon will be resolved to the satisfaction of all.

Source