SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Ariz. (KGUN) — Recent monsoon flooding along the Nogales Wash has renewed urgency around the city's aging flood control infrastructure, with local and state leaders calling for a comprehensive solution after years of temporary fixes.
On Monday, Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors members met with U.S. Representative Adelita Grijalva and Nogales city officials to tour the Nogales Wash and discuss the region's ongoing water infrastructure challenges. The visit came after Santa Cruz County declared a countywide emergency following July 2026 monsoon flooding, with officials saying the latest storms exposed just how vulnerable the infrastructure has become.
"We looked at where really band-aid solutions have been created and where you can see different concrete panels, you can see the age of different ones and how it really does require a comprehensive solution," Grijalva said.
The discussion included wastewater and additional stormwater flows originating from Mexico that contribute to challenges within the wash, as well as the significant investment needed to repair and improve the infrastructure.
County leaders say they are one step closer to securing federal help. The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has included authorization for $10 million for the county's water and wastewater infrastructure project in the Senate's Water Resources Development Act of 2026. The project was submitted to U.S. Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego following advocacy by the Board of Supervisors during meetings in Washington, D.C.
Officials stress that WRDA authorization does not provide funding on its own. The Senate and House must first approve a final WRDA bill and send it to the president to be signed into law. If enacted, the project must still receive funding through the annual congressional appropriations process before any federal dollars can be awarded.
Nogales Mayor Jorge Maldonado says repairs to the Nogales Wash alone are expected to cost more than $30 million.
"That is also a very concerning issue. I think working together everybody we should find a very good solution but obviously the main focus is who's going to fund it?" Maldonado said.
Grijalva acknowledged the gap between what has been authorized and what the project actually requires.
"Part of the problem is the project is going to cost $30 million, and they're approved for $10 million. And so, what the result is, we're going to utilize the $10 million, whatever way makes sense, which seems to be a lot of the band-aids that you're seeing. That's the result of not having full funding," Grijalva said.
Leaders are also pushing for an $80 million retention and detention basin that would reduce stormwater flowing through the wash by nearly a third. They say those projects would replace years of temporary fixes.
Maldonado pointed to a recent close call as evidence of the stakes.
"What really brought out the red flag was that on one of our streets on Hohokam got eaten up, and our 16-inch water line could have been very badly damaged," Maldonado said.
The county and the city are already partnering to address damage at Hohokam, with the city handling roadway, water, and sewer line repairs and the county addressing repairs to the wash. The estimated cost for the county's portion of those wash repairs is approximately $150,000.
Officials say this is not just a Nogales problem. The wash carries water from Mexico into Arizona, and damage to the wastewater system could impact water quality downstream, potentially affecting communities as far as Tucson and Marana.
"There's no blame to be made here. We just have to fix the problem," Grijalva said.
Leaders say they will keep working to move the project forward and secure the funding needed to protect the area before the next major storm. Santa Cruz County is also encouraging residents to contact their members of Congress to share support for the water and wastewater infrastructure investments.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
