The fourth flood in three years to ravage Bent occurred on Wednesday afternoon around 2 p.m. as waters joined forces from tributary canyons on the Mescalero Apache Reservation into Nogal Canyon.
"We've had four inches of rain in one hour," Ben Watson, a resident of Bent, said in an interview Wednesday afternoon. Watson reported the water had receded slightly but was still flowing. "The last time we flooded in 2006, I pumped 54,000 gallons out of my driveway," said Watson.
"This time looks just as bad." Bent residents put together a proposal in 2004 that resulted in Otero County receiving funds for flood prevention in 2005 and 2006, according to Watson. "The county ended up giving a bunch of that money to engineers and for the construction of digital models," Watson said.
"What they (the county) should have been doing was actual work to construct culverts, burms, and de-direct the waterflow." Watson said he is a heavy equipment operator and could construct culverts on his property, but has a major concern about doing that. "It could adversely affect my neighbor's property," Watson said.
"If we don't fix the problem for the entire area and just fix certain areas, the ones that have not been fixed will get hit even harder." The history of flood prevention efforts in the Bent area dates back to the 1930s with the Civilian Conservation Corps, according to Watson. "The problem is that many homes have been built in the canyon floor since that time," Watson said.
Watson reported that the water in his driveway was at least 30 inches deep. "I own a Dodge Neon," Watson said. "If it was in my driveway right now the water would be up to the hood.
" Watson said that if the rains became heavier by Wednesday night the Bent area would get hit again with more flooding. "There are at least 150 people being affected by this flood," said Jeri Saenz, who lives in the furthermost house up Nogal Canyon. "It has been three years since the residents of Bent began having meetings with the county.
Not only have they done nothing, but they haven't even contacted us to tell us if they ever plan to do anything. We started these talks back when Ruth Hoosier, the former county administrator, was in office. Now we are into another rainy season and nothing has been done.
How do we get the county to do anything about this? They have shown us that talking to them about our problem has not done a bit of good. How much damage do we have to endure?
" According to Otero County Commissioner Clarissa McGinn, it isn't a simple, quick fix. "When the Civilian Conservation Corps installed flood prevention safeguards for the Nogal Canyon, there was a lot of farming in that area. "It was designated as a major flood plane," McGinn said.
"There is a concentrated amount of water that washes through Nogal Canyon." A sum of $148,000 was acquired through legislation, according to McGinn. was contracted to determine what could be done as a flood prevention project.
"Any construction project requires an actual design," McGinn said. "You have to make sure that you are putting things in the right place." McGinn explained that in 2005 when Ruth Hoosier had been the county administrator, the county organized a meeting with the residents of Nogal Canyon and the Natural Resource Conservation Service because a significant flood had recently taken place.
It was determined during that meeting that hydrological and flood plane studies were needed. "Nogal Canyon Road is a county road," McGinn said. "Everything else in the canyon is privately owned.
We know that whatever is ultimately done in the canyon has to be of benefit to all the residents that reside there." Studies already completed have determined that present dikes and check dams are insufficient, according to McGinn. "What the engineers are presently looking at are issues like rechannelization and what kinds of crossings and culverts would be most effective," McGinn said.
"We have to enlarge the existing flood channel that helps with velocity and direction of water flow, build new check dams and restore some of the older ones that are still in place. Then there are the impact studies and easement issues that we are forced to deal with as part of this whole process. "The estimated cost for Nogal Canyon is $1,453,000 and so far we have only secured $148,000 of that.
I know it is frustrating, and as everyone knows, the procedural red tape can be quite exhaustive. "It is difficult to say exactly how soon is will all be completed, but people are able and welcome to do what they feel they have to on their own property until all the phases are able to be completed that will allow us to proceed with our work. We have several flood projects in various stages throughout the county at this time.
Some have already been completed while others are in phases not yet far enough along to see actual work being done." A press release issued from Otero County at 4:24 p.m.
on Wednesday urged residents to be cautious as they travel on Otero County roads and highways throughout the remainder of Wednesday afternoon and into the night. "Heavy rains are occurring near the community of Bent ..
. including Nogal Canyon," the county announced. "Heavy rains have also been spotted above Riata Road in the Laborcita Canyon area, as well as the Dry Canyon area in the Sacramento Mountains.
In addition, we anticipate the possibility of heavy rain in other flood prone areas of Otero County." The county also advised that "as of Wednesday afternoon, both Nogal Canyon Road and Riata Road are closed until further notice and travelers are urged to avoid these areas if at all possible.
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