The engineers who designed the Tuacahn arts complex claim flood-control devices they recommended as early as June 1994 were scrapped by the Heritage Arts Foundation due to cost and aesthetic concerns.
The $20 million Tuacahn Amphitheater and Center for the Arts was flooded with mud and debris after a Sept. 6 storm deposited more than 2 inches of rain in the red mountains north of Ivins. Estimates put the damage between $50,000 and $100,000.Foundation founder Doug Stewart had accused contractors of improper design and short-sight-ed-ness after sections of the 80-acre site were left caked with mud and waterlogged.
But the contractors say the arts foundation rejected more stringent flood control.
Stewart said the contractors, Alpha Engineering, Leslie A. Stoker Architects and Layton Construction, assured him the project's drainage system and flood-control measures were adequate in the event of a so-called "50-year storm."
The term is used to describe storms so intense that they statistically occur only once every 50 years.
It turns out the downpour earlier this month could be characterized as a "100-year storm," or one occurring once every century. Stewart apologized for remarks suggesting the contractor's work was less than adequate after discovering the degree of the storm.
Alpha Engineering said in a statement released through its attorneys that the arts foundation rejected protection against a "10-year flood."
Maps and meeting minutes from Alpha and Layton show the contractors recommended building a storm retention dam up the canyon, which could have accommodated serious flooding.
According to minutes of a June 22 project meeting, Heritage Foun-dation officials reportedly rejected the dam proposal and opted to run two, less visible 36-inch drain pipes behind the amphitheater stage.
Michael Hughes, attorney for Alpha Engineering, also said engineers never assured the foundation their flood-control plan would be adequate in the event of heavy flooding.
"The system they have out there now would not even handle a 10-year flood," Hughes said. "It just happened the 100-year flood hit Tuacahn in its first year."