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 But this time it was different. The rains, which normally flow off and away without any significant damage caused real flooding issues in one of the nation's great natural treasures: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. And rather than blame, 'an act of nature,' it appears the cause is more 'an act of man.' In an Associated Press story, the finger is pointed at the newly constructed fence along the US-Mexico border, designed to discourage illegal immigration. Said the monument's superintendent, Lee Baiza, "One of the reasons for it was the debris that accumulated on the fence itself." The summation is echoed by others. "Building wire mesh fences across washes prone to debris-laden floods is fundamentally flawed," Robin Silver, a spokesman for the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. The fences in question are steel mesh panels, 10 feet tall, and running for miles along the border. When the mesh becomes loaded with floating debris, much of it naturally occurring brush, the mesh no longer allows water to flow through, but becomes more of a dam, trapping the flood waters and causing them to back up. The Press story also noted, "A recent report produced by the Organ Pipe monument's staff concluded that the pedestrian fence failed to meet water-runoff standards set by the Army Corps or the Border Patrol's final environmental assessment. "The July 12 storm dumped as much as 2 inches of rain in about 90 minutes. Pools formed up to 7 feet deep, and flows several hundred feet wide eroded areas along patrol roads. The waters even scoured some fence and vehicle barrier foundations. "'The monument had suggested that they take into consideration everything that can happen with a weather event,' particularly an accumulation of debris, [Superintendent] Baiza said. 'We had a concern that this was going to happen.'" The national monument is home to a truly rare form of desert cactus, called Organ Pipe because of its tall, cylindrical structure. It only occurs on portions of the Sonora Desert. Photo: National Park Service Top of Page Get your FREE RV Travel Newsletter every week - sign up now.
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