Officials with the Coconino National Forest tell ABC15 there are no plans to rebuild a levee after it breached in Lower Lake Mary Monday.
Days ago, officials issued a closure for part of Lower Lake Mary’s west side,
“Forest engineers have been working to assess the structural integrity of the levee since Friday, and forest personnel are seeking to contract a qualified third party to assist with the analysis,” officials stated in a news release.
Days later, the levee broke and spilled water into a drainage area that looks like an extension of the lake.
However, for some who live nearby, they have questions about whose responsible, “First and foremost, have they done any maintenance on this levee, was THE levee sound, has it been inspected, and once they found a problem why didn’t they immediately react to it?” said Bob Thorp.
The snow melt from runoff also is also causing issues for some people around Lower Lake Mary as a portion of a dirt road is under water which has homeowners using a small boat to get to their property.
ABC15 heard from forest officials who said the levee was built approximately 25 years ago, but it’s unclear who constructed it and when.
Officials say the levee itself was likely built for recreational purposes for fishermen to use during wet water years.
There have been no reports of properties being threatened.
An official adds there really wouldn’t be a reason to rebuild the levee except for recreational purposes.
