History of the Flood Commission

Frequent damages to Doña Ana County 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 Commissioners to take action and establish the Office of the Flood Commission.

In May 1985, the Doña Ana County Board of County Commissioners requested Gov. Toney Anaya to appoint the county's first flood commissioner. On Nov. 1, 1986, the County Commissioners 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 Flood Commission is established in accordance with the New Mexico State Statutes, Sections 4-50-1 through 4-50-9 NMSA 1978.

Since January 1988, the Flood Commission 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 Flood Commission has expanded its assistance to protect the health and welfare of citizens within Doña Ana County 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 Ana County 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, the NWS, and the City of Las Cruces.