Rep. Grijalva tours flood-damaged Nogales Wash, pushes for funding

Recent monsoon flooding has renewed concerns about the aging Nogales Wash and the region’s flood control system. Local officials say years of temporary repairs have not addressed the infrastructure’s larger problems.

Santa Cruz County supervisors, Nogales officials and U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva toured the wash Monday. They discussed stormwater and wastewater flows from Mexico, along with the need for a long-term repair plan. The county declared a countywide emergency after flooding in July 2026.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has authorized $10 million for a county water and wastewater project in the proposed Water Resources Development Act of 2026. That authorization still requires approval of a final bill, presidential signature and funding through the annual congressional appropriations process. Repairs to the wash alone are expected to cost more than $30 million.

Officials are also seeking $80 million for a retention and detention basin that could reduce stormwater in the wash by nearly one-third. The city and county are addressing damage near Hohokam, where a road and a 16-inch water line were threatened. The county’s share of the wash repairs is estimated at about $150,000. Leaders say the wash’s problems could affect water quality downstream, including communities as far as Tucson and Marana.