Fissures and the problems they bring
I had an email come in today asking about fissures and buying a home in Arizona. They wanted to know how to find the problem areas. Their goal, of course, to make sure they didn’t purchase a home in the Phoenix area that would have troubles.
First, what is a fissure? Earth fissures are associated with basin subsidence that accompanies extensive ground water mining. In Arizona, fissures were first noted near Eloy in 1929. Their physical appearance varies greatly, but they may be more than a mile in length, up to 15 ft wide, and 100s of feet deep. During torrential rains they erode rapidly presenting a substantial hazard to people and infrastructure. Moreover, fissures provide a ready conduit to deliver runoff and contaminated waters to basin aquifers. Rapid population growth in southern Arizona is increasingly intruding on population centers and fissures.
It’s not as easy as you might think to find known fissure areas, although the state is trying to make maps available that point to trouble areas. Here’s a couple of websites the state has developed to help us:
Remember to do your homework before you choose an area to purchase!
