Although monsoon won't start until mid-June, certain preparations have already started.
Pima County is working on hiking trails right now to make sure they are ready for monsoon storms. "It's never too late to do maintenance,"Pima County Trails Coordinator Neil Stitzer said.
Workers are busy preparing these trains to stand up to monsoon rain and floods that can and do cause serious damage. "Our goal with a sustainable trail design is essentially having a trail that handles water well, the idea is that water just shoots across the trail," he explained. Crews want to prioritize proper drainage that will allow water to flow through without causing any erosion on the trails.
According to Stitzer, all new paths are looking good right now because they are built to handle the monsoon. However, officials are worried about trails cut years ago in Tucson Mountain Park, before the new standards were in place. "Those certainly require more maintenance than some of the new trails that we've built," he added.
To prepare, workers have done some reroutes on those older paths, building new sections of trail and closing off the older routes. "we incorporate twists and turns, not only because it's enjoyable for users but also helps shed water off the trail instead of just a straight line," Stitzer said.
Once monsoon is over, they will make any necessary repairs and start planning for next year.
