Rebuilding a Lifeline in the Peaks: A Look at the Inner Basin Waterline Restoration

When a community’s lifeline breaks, the only option is to move quickly — together.

After the 2022 Pipeline Fire stripped the slopes above the city bare, the next monsoon season delivered another blow. Floodwaters tore through the mountains, breaking the Inner Basin waterline and washing out access roads in more than 35 places. Overnight, a critical public utility that supplies up to 20% of Flagstaff’s peak water demand was crippled.

When infrastructure fails in a place like the San Francisco Peaks, there is no easy path in — literally. Access is steep, remote, and unpredictable. But the community needed its water back, and a partnership mobilized quickly to make it happen.

Our Role in the Work

Alta Environmental & Infrastructure was brought in to support the response. Our team handled aerial mapping survey control across the 13-mile corridor, followed later by construction staking for the armoring structures, and documentation for all structures built in place for the project records. 

On paper, that sounds straightforward. In reality, it meant hauling gear up steep eastern slopes by UTV, hiking through late-season ice and snow to set targets, and working in terrain where technology, weather, and logistics all had to cooperate at once — and often didn’t.

Those early days in May 2023 were rugged, cold, and messy. They were also deeply satisfying. Projects like this remind you that surveying isn’t just technical work — it’s fieldcraft, resilience, and teamwork.

A Team That Moved in Sync

Jacobs Engineering used our data to design armoring and reinforcement solutions at roughly 40 critical points. Hunter Contracting pushed forward through tough mountain conditions to rebuild access and replace damaged segments. The City of Flagstaff coordinated an effort funded by multiple partners, moving quickly and decisively to protect the region’s water supply.

Everyone brought their piece of the solution, and everyone understood the stakes. That kind of alignment doesn’t happen every day — and when it does, it’s worth recognizing.

More Than an Award

This fall, the project received ENR Southwest’s Best Project Award in the Water/Environment category. It’s an honor — but more importantly, it’s a reminder of why we do what we do.

Reliable infrastructure doesn’t just appear. It’s earned — in mud, snow, spreadsheets, long design meetings, and early-morning hikes with survey packs strapped to your back. It’s built by teams who show up, adapt, and keep moving until the work is done.

We’re proud of our role in restoring this vital system for the people of Flagstaff, and grateful to have partnered with:

• City of Flagstaff
  
  
• Hunter Contracting
  
  
• Jacobs Engineering
  
  
• Aerotech
  
  

Thank you to David Pedersen, Chuck English, and Berwyn Wilbrink for your leadership and collaboration.

This project started on a cold mountain ridge with snow still under our boots. It ended with water flowing again to a community that needed it.

We’re grateful to have played a role in restoring this critical resource and proud to celebrate the teams who made it possible.

On behalf of the Alta team, congratulations to everyone involved — and thank you for trusting us to support such meaningful work.