Main Articles Listing: Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering 8. Urban Erosion Control and Storm Water Harvesting in Northern Mexico The “twin cities” of Nogales, Sonora and Nogales, Arizona share a common watershed. They are laid out on steep hillsides on the fringe of the Sonoran Desert. Located along the Arizona-Mexico border, problems with water allocation, water rights, overdrafting, surface and groundwater pollution, soil erosion and wastewater collection and treatment are of major concern to the governments and citizens of the two cities. The backbone of these two cities is the Nogales wash, which is the major drainage system for both cities whose flow is from south to north joining the Santa Cruz river about 18 miles north of the border. The variability and intensity of the summer rains make it difficult to collect and use the rainfall for landscaping which has led to heavy reliance on groundwater. The steep hillsides in Nogales, Sonora are often denuded of vegetation and are readily eroded during heavy rainfall. Local roads become runoff channels and sediment-laden flows leave deposits on major roads and threaten homes and other buildings. These sediment deposits are rapidly converted to atmospheric dust, which contributes to the noncompliance of Nogales, Arizona with U.S. federal clean air standards for particulate matter. A demonstration project is in the works to illustrate structurally sound management of erosion from steep slopes, use of appropriate vegetation to restore degraded hillsides, the incorporation of water harvesting to irrigate the vegetation and augment scarce water resources and the safe management of used tires which will be used to construct the erosion control structures in combination with vegetation aimed to the stabilization of slopes. The project will be led by the University of Arizona with technical cooperation from the US Forest Service and the Instituto Tecnológico de Nogales and local cooperation from Escuela Secundaria General 3, and residents of Nogales, Sonora. A free workshop that is open to the public, “Erosion Control and Use of Rainfall Water in Nogales” will be held November 17-18, 2004, from 9.00 A.M. to 5.00 P.M.at Sala Audiovisual, Avenida Instituto Tecnológico #911, Nogales, Sonora. No pre-registration is necessary. Participants in the workshop include: Description of project: Guillermo Garcia Hydrology: Dr. Donald Slack Runoff estimation methods: Dr. Donald Slack Watershed management in urban areas: Dr. Peter Ffolliott Erosion processes: Dr. Daniel Neary Sedimentation on streets: Ing. Mateo Ramos Civil Works in Nogales : Ing. Juliam Martinez Hydrologic issues in the city of Nogales: Ing. Francisco gastelum A press conference prior to the workshop, in Nogales, Sonora, will be held November 17th at 9.00 A.M. at Instituto Tecnológico de Nogales. The project is financed by the International Consortium of Arid Lands. Members of this consortium are: •The University of Arizona •Desert Research Institute - Nevada •Higher Council for Science & Technology - Jordan •The University of Illinois •Jewish National Fund •Ministry of Agriculture & Land Reclamation-Egypt •New Mexico State University •South Dakota State University •Texas A&M University-Kingsville For more information contact Donald Slack, University of Arizona, Department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering (ABE), slackd@u.arizona.edu, (520) 621-1753 or ABE Graduate Research Associate Guillermo Garcia (eakker@aol.com). - Updated: November 16, 2004 [e-Mail me the articles]    -     [Search our articles]    -     [contact us ]     return to media home