Las Cruces, Guatemala

Las-Cruces.jpg

The Community

  • Village of over 18,000 people located in a largely deforested former jungle region subject to serious flooding

In-Country Partner

  • Concern America

The Need

  • Assist the Las Cruces Drainage Commission in analyzing the cause of the flooding and designing and implementing flood mitigation plans

EWB-CPC Involvement

  • 2009 – Initial Assessment Trip

    • Established relationships with community, government officials and local NGO

    • Performed community health, water quality and topographical surveys

  • 2010 – Submitted preliminary project report to EWB-USA, NGO and community

    • Completed preliminary hydraulic analysis and cost estimates to evaluate alternative flood reduction mechanisms

  • 2011 – Assessment Trip

    • Detailed hydrologic and hydraulic analysis of existing stormwater conditions

    • Evaluation of improvements to reduce the severity and extent of flooding problems.

    • The preferred alternative was the construction of a 4.5 km channel to intercept flows and route them around the town.

  • 2012 – Submitted flood mitigation plans

    • Flood mitigation plans, specifications and estimates were delivered to a government agency, Segeplan who provided the plans and reports to the new Las Cruces municipal government

    • The government retained a Guatemalan consultant to prepare the final plan which included elements of the EWB-CPC plan but also had significant changes

  • 2013 – First construction phase initiated by Guatemalan consultant

    • Followed up with Segeplan and the project began its first construction phase in late 2013

    • Two team members acquired data for a clean, reliable water source for the recently relocated community health clinic

  • 2014 – Monitoring Trip

    • Assessed the completed well which was drilled at health clinic by local contractor according to EWB-CPC design and its water quality was good

    • Helped the clinic workers develop a plan to clean and disinfect rainwater storage tank

    • Found that the storm water diversion channel was being constructed although the routing and capacity had been changed from the original EWB plan

Following the June trip, the team determined that the program was successfully in the hands of local organizations and the program was closed out with EWB-USA