The Bear Canyon Neighborhood Association (BCNA) was founded in 1984 to protect its northeast Tucson neighborhood, a middle class, 925-acre community ringed by streams, washes, and mountains. Bear Canyon’s fragile ecosystem, home to crystal-clear streams that sustain ancient saguaros and diverse wildlife—from hummingbirds to mountain lions—is increasingly threatened by drought, wildfires, flooding, and urban growth. Their latest threat: the proposed construction of 179 luxury rentals in the Bear Canyon Wash floodplain, destined to bring increased traffic, higher flooding risk, erosion, loss of natural habitat – and loss of life in a place which has seen four severe flooding events in five years. In the FEMA-designated “special flood hazard area,” the 36 acre development is to be built between two large washes, flash-flood prone creek beds with steep banks, loose sediment, and rocky terrain. Sounding the alarm, BCNA is working to halt such projects and change building codes, citing outdated flood risk models, dangerous “fill and build” development, and lack of adherence to zoning restrictions set forth in the county’s Bear Canyon Neighborhood Plan.
An alliance of 12 homeowners’ associations, BCNA is a small group of volunteers making a big noise in Pima County. From exposing incomplete hydrological analyses to drafting risk management assessments to citing studies showing that homes elevated on fill dirt can increase flood risks for nearby homes, BCNA fights irresponsible development that endangers their desert community. BCNA encourages its 8,000 residents to sign petitions such as stopcasitavillage.org; write letters to Tucson Floodplain Management, the Tucson mayor and city council members; and attend public meetings to work against more development in the floodplain. Resident Tom Adang, a retired meteorologist who has worked with NOAA and FEMA, urges common sense over dollars and cents. “Whatever you think about climate change, we’ve recently had some of the hottest days, and some of the wettest days, on record. It seems pretty simple. You don’t build in a wash, and you don’t build in a special flood hazard zone. Lives are at stake.”
Bear Canyon residents fear flooding, exacerbated by irresponsible development such as fill and build construction, will make scenes such as this ladder rescue over a washed-out low water crossing in Bear Canyon, August 2022, all too common. Photo Source: Tucson Fire Department