Park Avenue Detention Basin Complex

About Park Avenue Detention Basin Complex

The primary purpose of Park Avenue Detention Basin Complex is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Pima County Flood Control District (local government). It impounds the Arroyo-chico Wash near Tucson.

The dam stands 18 feet tall and stretches 165 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 15 acres, has a storage capacity of 416 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 8 square miles. Completed in 2008, the structure is relatively new.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 04/10/2024.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Arizona dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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