Deadly I-10 dust storm near Lordsburg

[J N Winkler]

I actually have somewhere a copy of a report Arizona DOT compiled several years ago on possible routings for an I-10 Tucson bypass.  The one that appeared to be most feasible would have left existing I-10 around Willcox, taken a valley-floor routing past Fort Grant, and worked west over to the Phoenix area at a point somewhere in Pinal County, with multiple options for tie-in to existing I-10 west of Phoenix that included redevelopment of I-8/SR 85 or fitting in a new-location freeway route (if tribal consent could be obtained).  But such a project would have had a price tag in the multiple billions of dollars and was nowhere near being programmed.

As for Max's suggestion that the part of this thread that deals with managing or eliminating the dust nuisance has run its course, I think we are at the point where fruitful further discussion hinges on someone actually going to TRIS (or a similar source) to do a literature search.

[Max Rockatansky]

I actually have somewhere a copy of a report Arizona DOT compiled several years ago on possible routings for an I-10 Tucson bypass.  The one that appeared to be most feasible would have left existing I-10 around Willcox, taken a valley-floor routing past Fort Grant, and worked west over to the Phoenix area at a point somewhere in Pinal County, with multiple options for tie-in to existing I-10 west of Phoenix that included redevelopment of I-8/SR 85 or fitting in a new-location freeway route (if tribal consent could be obtained).  But such a project would have had a price tag in the multiple billions of dollars and was nowhere near being programmed.

As for Max's suggestion that the part of this thread that deals with managing or eliminating the dust nuisance has run its course, I think we are at the point where fruitful further discussion hinges on someone actually going to TRIS (or a similar source) to do a literature search.

Hopefully what I said wasn't taken as though I was pointing the finger at anyone other than the "individual" who was trying to assert his fictional idea about an Interstate between I-10/I-20 into this discussion.  I'm all ears to keep talking about the dust storm problems on I-10 in general since it has been somewhat of priority topic given what happened near Lordsburg and recently San Simon.

That might actually be workable terrain from Fort Grant. Even if the route took part of the Dragoon Mountains or Pinaleno Mountains it's not like the terrain is unworkable.  It would also avoid the Willcox Playa and the big climb up Texas Canyon which I-10 takes. 

[mwb1848]

Below is some information regarding the Lordsburg Playa which was passed on to me by the State Rep for the area in response to my request for information. I'm glad to see they're engaged on the topic, but it still feels like they're married to slight variations on possibly solutions which haven't worked in the past – there doesn't seem to be a tendency toward finding a once-and-for-all solution.

DOT projects:

1.  Traffic control/signage:  NMDOT works with New Mexico State Police to cruise the interstate and watch for dust storm conditions.  Electronic message boards are illuminated with warnings when winds are high.  The highway is closed (in cooperation with Arizona counterparts) if weather/soil conditions merit.  There are also permanent road signs warning of dust storm conditions.

2. Mitigation:  NMDOT has a $500,000 grant to reduce windborne dust at the playa and at a site on US180.  Working with national experts on mitigation as well as with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, we are implementing vegetation and other measures to reduce the amount of windborne dust.  NMDOT will submit a grant request for an additional $1 million to expand this effort.

3. Land use:  The Bureau of Land Management owns much of the playa and leases it for cattle grazing.  There is not much out there for the cattle to eat, but the cattle break up the surface of the playa while crossing between feeding sites beyond the playa.  This frees sand and dust to be picked up by the wind.  NMDOT is working with the rancher and with BLM to see if the cattle can be eliminated from the playa itself and are receiving good cooperation from both.

4. Driver Education Campaign:  NMDOT is conducting a $1 million dust storm safety driver education campaign, including placement of billboards and radio ads, working with NM Trucking Association to create and distribute a dust storm safety training module to freight drivers, working with UNM to identify and track driver awareness of dust storm safety, and working with MVD to incorporate dust storm safety into driver education in New Mexico.  This effort was kicked off by a Dust Storm Stakeholder Meeting in Las Cruces in February 2016 including representatives from a wide range of federal, state, local and private entities.

5. Dust storm prediction/detection:  The New Mexico State Climatologist at New Mexico State University will place about 30 sensors on the playa over the next six months to investigate effectiveness of mitigation efforts as well as to consider how best to detect nascent dust storms.  The National Weather Service - El Paso has identified a new weather tracking module that may be useful in predicting major dust storms (haboobs), so NMDOT will support their efforts to acquire that module.

The snow fencing approach is one of many possible mitigation interventions (planting, berms, mulching, etc.) that have been considered by NMDOT staff in determining which to implement here.  It is not generally considered to be the most effective in this context because the dust plumes do not originate near the highway but may travel miles in large haboob clouds before reaching the highway. 

http://web.nmsu.edu/~dwdubois/dust/June19-2017_dustevent_cam1.mp4

Here is a quick summary of our Mitigation efforts from point 2 above:


Mitigation (HSIP)
The $500,000  grant was split and awarded to two land restoration companies with the notice to proceed issued September, 2016.

Phase I is to restore 140 acres of private and State Land north of Deming on the west side of US 180.  Fencing was installed, grazing was restricted and deep chiseling plowing and drill seeding were done in November, 2016.  We will be drill seeding again in about two weeks. Our expectation is that we will have this site restored two years ahead of time. Results have been very promising. If this is the case we will probably divert the remaining part of this contract to Phases II and III.

Phase II is planned to address about 200 acres land at the Road Forks exit, MP 7 on I-10. This was near the site of the April, 2014 crash which claimed 7 lives. Analysis and a plan by our consultant Stream Dynamics  proposes to restrict grazing, re-establish hydrologic flow blocked by ranching activity, imprint and overseed, establish some brush berms to block the "˜fetch' of wind which is making very powdery soils airborne. In concert with the NRCS we have come to the conclusion that much of the worse dust is coming from degraded uplands on the western "˜shore' of the playa, which then flow onto the playa surface. This plan has been forwarded to the BLM and the clearance process has begun in concert with them. We expect final clearance late this fall. We expect field mitigation work to start in the spring of 2018.

Phase III is planned to address the playa areas north of I-10 and would include the areas north of the this most recent deadly crash. The treatments will be similar  to Phase II however we will focus primarily again on the western "˜shore' with the funds we have. We will have a "˜master plan'  and report submitted to the BLM and State Land office for discussion. We will propose grazing restrictions. We expect to receive the draft report and plan within one month. The BLM has an environmental action called a determination called an  Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) which can be used, in this case for public health reasons, to restrict grazing and modify leases. We have met with them and the ranchers and they are aware of the seriousness of what is going on out there. We expect mitigation work to start in the spring of 2018.

[Kniwt]

Looks like another dust storm and another fatality, this time a bit closer to the AZ line:
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2017/08/10/dust-storm-causes-fatal-crash-near-arizona-new-mexico-line/557645001/

ROAD FORKS, N.M. – A Texas woman died Wednesday after a dust storm on Interstate 10 near the Arizona-New Mexico border caused a car crash into a semi-truck.

[JKRhodes]

I actually have somewhere a copy of a report Arizona DOT compiled several years ago on possible routings for an I-10 Tucson bypass.  The one that appeared to be most feasible would have left existing I-10 around Willcox, taken a valley-floor routing past Fort Grant, and worked west over to the Phoenix area at a point somewhere in Pinal County, with multiple options for tie-in to existing I-10 west of Phoenix that included redevelopment of I-8/SR 85 or fitting in a new-location freeway route (if tribal consent could be obtained).  But such a project would have had a price tag in the multiple billions of dollars and was nowhere near being programmed.

As for Max's suggestion that the part of this thread that deals with managing or eliminating the dust nuisance has run its course, I think we are at the point where fruitful further discussion hinges on someone actually going to TRIS (or a similar source) to do a literature search.

Hopefully what I said wasn't taken as though I was pointing the finger at anyone other than the "individual" who was trying to assert his fictional idea about an Interstate between I-10/I-20 into this discussion.  I'm all ears to keep talking about the dust storm problems on I-10 in general since it has been somewhat of priority topic given what happened near Lordsburg and recently San Simon.

That might actually be workable terrain from Fort Grant. Even if the route took part of the Dragoon Mountains or Pinaleno Mountains it's not like the terrain is unworkable.  It would also avoid the Willcox Playa and the big climb up Texas Canyon which I-10 takes.

Gailuro Mountains and Aravaipa Wilderness are pretty rugged.