We are victims of the recent Moapa Valley floods of 2014. We live in the vicinity of Spur and Lewis Streets at the southern area of the valley. We were also victims of the major flood of 2005.
To be flooded once can be a disaster, but being flooded over and over again borders on the ridiculous. Especially given the fact that a solution was devised a number of years ago to alleviate the flood problem in this area. That solution was to widen and deepen the river channel to accommodate the increased flows. The channel work was planned to start at Lewis and work back upstream from there.
Plans were drawn up and funding was available. But the rights-of-way had not yet been acquired. Sometime later, we understood that the flood easements were acquired, but the money to do the work somehow was no longer available.
How did the funding mysteriously disappear? More recently plans were made and funding was made available for construction of the bridge at Cooper Street, upstream from our area. Construction of the bridge also included widening and deepening of the river channel for a short distance downstream of the bridge.
Construction of a multi-million dollar bridge does nothing to alleviate any flooding, however, the channel work downstream of the bridge did seem to alleviate any flooding of the Cooper Street area in the two recent floods.
However, when the recent flood waters passed through the widened channel area below the Cooper Street bridge and entered the original narrow channel of the river it seemed to create a faster and more violent flood flow and here we are flooded again worse than previous floods.
We are sick and tired of having to deal with this issue and would like to get it resolved once and for all. After each flood a lot of lip service is given to this issue for about a month, then promptly forgotten about until the next flood comes. We are not only flood victims, but also victims of indifference by the County.
The State and County were quick to resolve the flood problem up in Rainbow Canyon, why not us? We realize we are just a handful of constituents out in the remote Moapa Valley and are easily forgotten. An earnest and speedy resolution of this issue would be greatly appreciated, especially before the next flood comes.
We ask that funding be reinstated for this project and be SPECIFICALLY for the widening and deepening of the Muddy River channel between Cooper Street bridge and Lewis Avenue.
Ned and Marilyn Artz
