Grand Canal Drainage Study
Flood Control District of Maricopa County / City of Phoenix, AZ
The primary purpose of this study was to quantify the flood hazards within the Canal’s floodplain between 63rd Ave. and 56th St. The banks of the Canal are above natural ground elevation through much of the City of Phoenix which results in shallow flooding along the upstream side of the Canal. FEMA has designated this as a Zone A floodplain which runs, almost continuously, along the entire study reach between 63rd Avenue and 56th Street. There are over 1400 properties that lie within the floodplain.
Brainstorming meetings were held after the data collection effort to develop ideas for mitigating the flood hazards associated with the floodplain. Data collection included the depth of flooding, the number of homes and businesses impacted, the established 100-year peak discharges, existing and proposed storm drains and detention basins, past flooding complaints, and boundaries of historic neighborhoods.