History of the 洪水委员会

Frequent damages to Doña安娜县 roads and residential property throughout the county from intense summer rainstorms, which are typical to the Southwest, and lack of funding for flood control projects, convinced the Board of County 委员 to take action and establish the Office of the 洪水委员会.

In May 1985, the Doña安娜县 Board of County 委员 requested Gov. Toney Anaya to appoint the county's first flood commissioner. 11月. 1, 1986, the County 委员 established a maximum flood levy of 1.5 mills on property lying within the boundaries of the two-county flood districts to provide funding for flood-abatement projects.

The 洪水委员会 is established in accordance with the New Mexico State Statutes, Sections 4-50-1 through 4-50-9 NMSA 1978.

自1988年1月起, the 洪水委员会 has been working on the maintenance, repair and upgrade of many existing flood control structures. More recently, new flood control structures have been constructed in different areas of the county. Other projects are being developed and will be implemented as funding becomes available.

The 洪水委员会 has expanded its assistance to protect the health and welfare of citizens within Doña安娜县 to include the following:

• Identify areas where there is a 1 percent or greater chance of damaging floods each year (one damaging flood per 100 year period or less)
• Assist property owners in determining where their property is located in relationship to flood-hazard areas
• Investigate flooding areas and storm water runoff damage during and after heavy rainfall events
• Monitor the Doña安娜县 Unified Development Code in order to maintain and minimum standard for coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program.
• Study methods for reducing flood losses, including dikes, diversions, waterways and dams.
• Implement a Flood Warning System of Weather Stations and Rainfall Gauges, in cooperation with EBID, NMSU, NWS, and the City of Las Cruces.