Wellton drainage project advances with stormwater work, Jesse Street closure

Jesse Street was closed to through traffic as crews kept moving on Phase 2 of Wellton’s drainage project, a $1,877,779.90 buildout aimed at getting stormwater off town streets faster. Yuma County said contractors mobilized equipment on June 4 and continued excavation, pipe installation and basin work in several parts of Wellton.

The most visible work is happening along Jesse Street, where crews are installing a 30-inch storm drain. A separate crew is putting in an 18-inch storm drain along Oakland Avenue and Dome Street, while another is excavating the Helen basin. The county also said work is underway on a retention basin and includes relocation of an existing water line.

Drivers are feeling the change first. Jesse Street is under a hard closure, with detours posted via Bobby Street and Fresno Street. County officials are urging motorists to follow temporary traffic control signs as the work moves ahead in stages. The current phase ties into a larger package that includes Maybelle Street storm drain and retention basin work, Helen Street storm drain and retention basin work, Central Wellton storm drain and retention basin work, and an Oakland Avenue storm drain.

The county’s project records show the contract was awarded to Accurate Excavation of Arizona, LLC on Feb. 2 after a bid process that opened Dec. 5, 2025 and closed Jan. 5 at 1:30 p.m. Residents with questions about the job can reach project managers Sergio Vizcarra at 928-817-5087 or David Ruvalcaba at 928-817-5129.

Yuma County’s stormwater program says its broader job is to comply with the federal Clean Water Act and handle plan review and inspection services for construction sites that disturb more than an acre. In Wellton, that countywide mission has a very local target: streets that need to shed water before it pools, slows traffic or cuts off access during monsoon weather.

The stakes are easy to measure in a town shaped by flood history. Records from the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District note a major Gila River flood in 1891 and another in January 1916 that was estimated at 200,000 cubic feet per second at Dome. More recently, Wellton residents were lining up sandbags ahead of rain in September 2025. County newsletters also referenced a separate Wellton Drainage Improvement Project budgeted at $1.5 million in April 2022, showing that this phase is part of a longer push to keep the town ahead of the next storm.