State, researchers work to prepare land to mitigate dust in Pinal
by Kim McKeller | Arizona City Independent
A truck sprays treatment on land near Interstate 10 in the Eloy area in an attempt to mitigate blowing dust during monsoon season./Submitted via Arizona City Independent
In spring and fall, dust blows west to east over the desert floor. It’s not the wall of dust we see on the evening news or social media videos that causes most accidents.
“The 100 feet of dust that causes low or no visibility and then you get to the end of that and find clear skies, the isolated channels of dust, that’s what typically causes most accidents,” said Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Public Information Officer Erin Jordan.
And blowing dust can lead to serious and potentially deadly crashes. Many lives, as well as hours of work and time with family and friends, have been lost over the years along Interstate 10 in Pinal County due to gusty winds over the open desert, creating dangerous dust storms.
