PIMA COUNTY, (May 20, 2025) – Pima County’s Regional Flood Control District is already a national leader in flood control; now it can add two more awards to the trophy case.
The District was recently awarded two American Public Works Association (APWA) national awards for its work on the Las Vistas Neighborhood Stormwater Park and the Cañada Del Oro Wash levee augmentation. Las Vistas won the Structures less than $5 million category while the CDO Wash levee augmentation brought home the award for Disaster or Emergency Construction/Repair less than $5 million.
“The District delivers a wide range of innovative projects ranging from floodplain mapping to flood infrastructure,” said Brian Jones, Regional Flood Control District Deputy Director. “We’re pleased that the APWA has recognized two of the projects we completed in 2024, one of those being a green infrastructure project.”
Las Vistas Neighborhood Stormwater Park (Las Vistas Stormwater Park), located in the heart of the Las Vistas neighborhood, serves as a vital stormwater conveyance and pedestrian connection linking the community’s three elementary schools and parks. Driven by extensive community input, the park is ADA accessible, features over 500 new native plants, over 3,000 linear feet of new walking paths, and nine stormwater harvesting basins to reduce flooding in the neighborhood.
“The Las Vistas project will reduce flood risk while providing a fantastic amenity to an older housing community,” said Jones.
Roughly 15 miles north of Las Vistas, The District’s second award-winning project was the result of innovative problem solving that addressed a critical need after the Bighorn fire that burned almost 120,000 acres in 2020. A postfire hydrological study projected increased flow rates and identified seven locations between N. La Cañada Drive and N. Oracle Road that would benefit from an increase in the channel’s capacity.
“The CDO levee augmentation reestablished flood protection after the impacts of the Bighorn Fire, helping our community be more resilient,” said Jones.
The levee augmentation included 3,000 linear feet of new concrete flood walls to protect against flooding, more than 2,500 linear feet of lime-treated aggregate to bolster flood protection, and resurfacing of more than 7,600 linear feet of the existing Chuck Huckelberry Loop to enhance recreational opportunities for residents.
Both awards add to the long list of local, regional, and national awards the District has won in its continuous efforts to be innovative and forward-thinking in protecting Pima County and preparing for future flood events.