When the Bighorn Fire burned nearly 120,000 acres of the Coronado National Forest, it became the eighth-largest wildfire in Arizona history.
Roughly four years later, Pima County officials are addressing an abundance of sediment and debris in Oro Valley’s primary watershed.
Camille Hall with Pima County said removing the sediment filling the Cañada del Oro Wash isn’t an option.
“Because there are increased projected rates of flow moving down the channel in response to the Bighorn fire,” said Hall, “we might actually see over-topping of the banks.”
The plan is for crews to use freeboard to reduce sediment spill-overs as they begin by clearing out sections throughout Oro Valley, with hopes to finish by the end of the year.
“We were able to get about a $2.5 million grant from FEMA to help with the cost of this project,” Hall said.
She added that as work progresses, they look forward to gradually re-opening the popular Loop bike trail nearby.
