Sparks residents on Grand River Drive fear arroyo erosion after week of heavy rain

SPARKS, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Days of heavy rain have left some Borderland residents facing more than flooded roads and yards, with homeowners in Sparks saying fast-moving water is washing away the ground around their properties.

Residents who live off Grand River Drive said the arroyo behind their homes turned into a “raging river” after this past week’s rain, and they are now watching erosion creep closer to their houses.

“I woke up in the middle of the night,” said Veronica Magallnes, a Grand River Drive resident. “I could hear the water gushing. It sounded like a river going through the back of our house.”

Magallnes said her family has lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years, but after the recent rain she has seen the arroyo erode closer to her home.

“The house is going to fall over. The wall is going to fall. The foundation has already shifted,” she said.

Walking through her yard, Magallnes pointed to areas where she said the ground has already been washed away, leaving little between the flowing water and nearby homes.

“There’s no dirt. There’s no cement. It’s all the dirt getting washed away,” Magallnes said. “The water’s been washing it away with all these heavy rains.”

She said the erosion could also threaten nearby infrastructure, including light poles along the arroyo, next to her home.

“It’s going to take this light post. It’s going to take that light post. And then the one next to it,” Magallnes said. “So, it’s four light poles that if this wall drops, everything is going to be pulled along the wall.”

Magallnes said the edge of the erosion is only feet from bedrooms where she and her mother sleep.

“This is my room right here. And then I have my mom’s room that’s right next door to mine. She’s elderly. She’s disabled,” she said.

She said many families in the community have lived there for decades, and moving is not an easy option.

“Who wants to leave their own home? And especially if you don’t have anywhere else to go,” Magallnes said.

“Our families, our elders were the ones that bought these properties. They built these homes with what and how they could.”

Magallnes said she wants a more permanent fix to prevent further erosion, including cement through the ditch.

“It would be great if they fixed the ditch, maybe put the cement all the way down through it like all the other ditches,” she said.

She also said she feels the community has been overlooked, particularly when compared with a nearby development.

“It’s just very sad to see that the community’s tax dollars aren’t being used properly. And you see this new development that’s been less than five years [old],” Magallnes said. “They’re half $1 million homes and everything’s being invested into that community and in our community in over 20 years, we can’t even get a ditch with cement.”

KFOX14/CBS4 asked El Paso County officials whether there are plans to mitigate flooding in the area or take preventative measures for homes along the arroyo.

In a statement, El Paso County said, “The arroyo is a low water crossing and is working as it is intended to. The County is currently working on the reshaping of the arroyo in preparation of heavy rains.”

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