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Tri Palms Country Club and residents are seeking solutions to their constant flooding issue

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Another rain event flooded the same area in Thousand Palms at the Tri Palms Estates and Country Club. News Channel 3 has been tracking this issue while residents hope to find a solution that residents say looks impossible.

The General manager of the private property tells News Channel 3 that he has contacted the roads division flood control and spoken to the water district as well.

Statement from Riverside County Transportation and Land Management Agency: "The Riverside County Transportation Department frequently monitors our county-maintained roads, and we close roads or respond to flooding as necessary. The roads within the community in question are private and not county-maintained, so they need to have a maintenance plan and a debris plan in place for when storms are predicted and during rainfall."

As the country clubs started to discuss solutions, like wanting to build a blockade between the publically maintained roads and its private property, the county says that it may not be a good solution. On a phone call with the country's representative, she shared that building a blockade will only divert water and may create flooding in another community. She advised that we contact the Coachella Valley Water District because Transportation does not deal with flooding structures.

"This is the epicenter of the rushing water that comes to the park," says the managing director, Michael Gerano. "It comes from the mountains down through the desert."

News Channel 3 has shared many residents' frustrations about the mess and cleanup in recent months. 

"Because these are all seniors, you know, we get upwards of 50 or 60 calls just every time it rains with seniors who are literally trapped in their homes because of the different washes that they can't get through due to low-riding cars," says Gerano. 

Gerano says the cleanup and maintenance since Hilary has cost up to 1.5 million dollars.

"We hope the collaboration with the county and the water district helps us find a resolution," says Gerano.

One possible solution: "Creating a larger channel and a reservoir similar to some of the things that the county has done along the I-10 to build some reservoirs where there can be some holding areas for additional water, allowing that to flow through naturally, and then somewhere to hold until it obviously evaporates," says Gerano.

Gerano says a county representative came Thursday to discuss mitigation of the water coming from across Ramon and San Miguelito. "The main topics that were discussed were how we get this water in a different location, not to tie our hands, and the ability to help clean up our park," say Gerano.

After the water recedes, the dirt left behind also becomes a huge nuisance. "We were having some challenges with moving dirt within the park because these roads within the community are county roads. And we were on a hard stop from doing that at one point."

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Miyoshi Price

Miyoshi joined KESQ News Channel 3 in April 2022. Learn more about Miyoshi here.

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