Chapter 4 Political Geography of the Upper Gila River Watershed

Transcription

1 Chapte 4 Political Geogaphy of the Uppe ateshed

2 4 Atlas of the Uppe ateshed Chapte 4 Political Geogaphy of the Uppe ateshed Section 4-1 Infastuctue The Uppe ateshed is located in pats of six Aizona counties. The vast majoity of the wateshed is in Gaham and Geenlee counties, with small aeas in Apache, Cochise,, and Pinal counties. Population centes ae located along the ives of the wateshed, especially the Fancisco and. Appoximately 70% of the population lives within 5 miles of one of these 2 ives. The infastuctue in the wateshed is concentated along the, Fancisco and Simon ive coidos, in close poximity to wate esouces. Communities in the aea developed aound agicultue and mining activities, both of which ely on the availability of a steady wate supply. Highways, oads, and ailoads connect the communities with public sevices like aipots, schools, and coectional facilities located nea the lagest population centes: Saffod and Clifton. These ae also the espective county seats of Gaham and Geenlee counties. Table 4-1 Population City/Town County Population at 2010 Census Gaham 37,220 Saffod Gaham 9,566 Thatche Gaham 4,865 Pima Gaham 2,387 Cental Gaham 645 Solomon Gaham 426 Byce Gaham 175 Geenlee 8,437 Clifton Geenlee 3,311 Moenci Geenlee 1,489 Duncan Geenlee 696 Challenges Pojected population gowth centes may not match the scale and location of existing infastuctue, which could put a stain on municipal sevices. Fedeal and state funding fo infastuctue pojects has been educed nationwide, shifting the cost to local goveent. Statewide, infastuctue constuction has not kept pace with the expanding population. xisting infastuctue fo sectos such as tanspotation, wate delivey, education, enegy, health cae and telecommunication ae aging as a esult. One epot estimated the state will need an additional $11 billion pe yea to povide infastuctue fo the 10 million people expected by 2030.P. Caey School of Business, 2008). Rual populations ae geneally unde seved by state and fedeal sevices when compaed to moe ubanized aeas. 42 Chapte 4 Political Geogaphy

3 Little Coloado Aizona New Mexico Alpine Luna h Middle 60 h 170 Calos 70 hh hh Legend City o Town Majo s Majo Roads Aizona-New Mexico Bounday Uppe ta ateshed Cuz Bounday Neighboing atesheds Schools AZD) h Coectional Facilities DOC) Aipots FAA) Railoads DOT) Ì Ì Ì Figue 4-1 Infastuctue Calos Pedo -illcox ate Reseach and Planning Innovations fo Dyland Systems Bylas Ft. Thomas Salt Pima Thatche h Saffod Bonita 266 h Ceek agle Ceek h Rio De Bavispe Moenci h Clifton Bowie S imon Blue Simon Ì Ì Ì Feepot McMoRan, Inc. Mines Miles Date Ceated: 12/12/2013 Glenwood Duncan Viden ive R Fancisco Section 4-1 Infastuctue 43

4 4 Atlas of the Uppe ateshed Section 4-2 ate Use Adequate ate Supply The Aizona Goundwate Management Act of 1980 govens the use of goundwate in Active Management Aeas AMAs) located in cental Aizona. Regions outside the AMAs, like the Uppe ateshed, ae subject to the ate Adequacy Pogam, which is intended to potect consumes fom puchasing popety without adequate wate. This pogam does not manage goundwate no limit the amount that can be pumped fom the aquife. Unde the ate Adequacy Pogam, new subdivisions must eithe obtain wate fom a wate povide with an Adequate ate Supply Designation o apply fo an Adequate ate Repot fom the Aizona Depatment of ate Resouces ADR). An adequate wate supply must be physically, legally and continuously available fo 100 yeas. An Inadequate ate Supply Designation does not pevent the maketing of eal estate; howeve the fist buye of the popety must be infomed of its wate supply status. ADR has pocessed 35 wate adequacy applications in the Uppe ateshed: 2 fo Adequate ate Designations and 33 fo Adequate ate Repots. The City of Saffod holds the single lagest designation, almost 4,000 ace feet pe yea; the second designation was issued in 2010 fo moe than 3,000 ace feet pe yea fo the Siea del Sol subdivision, 8 miles south of Saffod Aizona Depatment of ate Resouces, 2013). Of the 33 epots issued, 16 wee issued as adequate. It is difficult to detemine if the 17 inadequate deteminations in the wateshed ae due to a documented lack of wate o incomplete study. The Aizona ate Atlas states the majoity of inadequacy deteminations in most egions of the state wee due to insufficient data o a equest fo inadequacy in lieu of conducting a detailed study of hydologic conditions Aizona Depatment of ate Resouces, 2010). Challenges Adequacy ules apply only to new subdivisions of at least 6 lots whee the size of 1 lot is less than 36 aces. In Aizona, land may be subdivided into five o fewe lots without much ovesight; these wildcat lot splits ae not subject to the adequacy ules. Adequacy ules allow goundwate pumping to lowe the aquife to 400 feet fo lots with thei own well, and 1,200 feet fo wate companies duing the fist 100 yeas. In the Uppe ateshed, this is geneally deepe than the total depth of the shallow aquife. Incomplete applications hampe wate planning effots as the impact of these developments on the local aquife is often unknown. Calculating the quantity of goundwate in an aquife is complicated and impecise. ADR has been citicized fo thei methodology issuing Adequate ate Supply cetificates, as they might double count goundwate. Inadequate ate Supply designations do not allow the county to deny subdivision of land. The population of the wateshed is pedicted to gow while the wate supply is not. 44 Chapte 4 Political Geogaphy

5 Little Coloado Aizona New Mexico Alpine Luna Salt 60 Blue 180 Middle 170 Calos Calos 70 Bylas Bonita Ceek Ft. Thomas Pima Thatche Saffod agle Ceek Moenci Clifton Glenwood ive R Fancisco Duncan Viden 266 S 70 Pedo -illcox imon Bowie 10 Simon Legend Neighboing atesheds Aizona-New Mexico Bounday 338 Uppe ateshed Bounday ta Cuz Designated Adequate ate Povide ADR) Majo Roads Assued ate Supply Status ADR) Issued Adequate Issued Inadequate City o Town Majo s ate Reseach and Planning Innovations fo Dyland Systems Figue 4-2 Adequate ate Supply Rio De Bavispe Miles Date Ceated: 1/6/ Section 4-2 Population and ate Use 45

6 4 Atlas of the Uppe ateshed Section 4-3 Suface ate Rights In Aizona, suface wate ights ae established by application to the Aizona Depatment of ate Resouces ADR). Pioity is given to ights depending on the date the wate was fist put to beneficial use, so that in times of dought the oldest, o senio, wate ights ae satisfied befoe the younge, o moe junio, ights. Shown on the map at ight is the point of divesion POD) fo each suface wate ight in the wateshed. Thee ae moe than 4,800 suface wate ights established with ADR in the Uppe ateshed. Suface ights ae not limited to the ives and steams, but also include spings, stock ponds, and goundwate in some pats of the wateshed. These ights ae each affected by the Globe quity Decee, the Calos Apache Tibe ate Rights Settlement Act of 1992, the Aizona ate Rights Settlement Act of 2004, and the Geneal Steam Adjudication in pogess in Maicopa County Supeio Cout. The Aizona ate Rights Settlement Act of 2004 limits agicultual use of both suface and goundwate in the wateshed. ate settlements have had a significant impact on wate ights in the wateshed. Challenges Uncetainty of the effects of the Geneal Steam Adjudication fo the on wate ights. The Aizona ate Settlements Act of 2004 ganted New Mexico the ight to an aveage of 14,000 ace feet pe yea fom the and Fancisco s. New Mexico must declae thei intention egading this wate by the end of As some suface wate ights ae educed in the wateshed, uses switch to pumping goundwate. Howeve, goundwate is not managed in the wateshed with the exception of that in the subflow zone) and is vulneable to ovedaft. Inceased goundwate pumping may impact suface wate flows. Dought and changes in climate may alte suface wate supply. Fo instance, the wateshed may eceive less pecipitation oveall, o fewe moe intense stom events may become nomal, changing the timing of supply. 46 Chapte 4 Political Geogaphy

7 S imon Calos Bonita Ceek agle Ceek Blue Fancisco R ive Bylas Alpine Simon Bowie Thatche Calos Ft. Thomas Moenci Saffod Clifton Duncan Pima Glenwood Luna Viden Middle ta Cuz Salt Pedo -illcox Little Coloado Rio De Bavispe Miles New Mexico Aizona Legend City o Town Majo s Majo Roads Aizona-New Mexico Bounday Uppe ateshed Bounday Neighboing atesheds Suface ate POD ADR) Date Ceated: 12/19/2013 Section 4-3 Suface ate Rights ate Reseach and Planning Innovations fo Dyland Systems Figue 4-3 Suface ate Right Points of Divesion

8 4 Atlas of the Uppe ateshed Section 4-4 ate Quality Suface ate The Aizona Depatment of nvioental Quality ADQ) uses five categoies to evaluate the status of a given wate souce, fou of which have been obseved in the Uppe ateshed. These categoies depend on the suite of paametes tested and the fequency of testing. Attaining all uses categoy 1) indicates that a full suite of paametes wee tested a sufficient numbe of times with no exceedances epoted at any time. Attaining some uses categoy 2) is given fo a wate that ecoded at least one exceedance, but in epeated sampling the exceedance was not consistent. Inconclusive categoy 3) is given fo a wate which was not tested fo enough paametes o fequently enough to detemine wate quality status. Impaied categoy 5) is given fo a wates that exceed citeia epeatedly. Thee wee no wates with a Not Attaining ates categoy 4) status in the wateshed. Suface wate quality is designated impaied on the in two places: just upsteam of the confluence with the Fancisco and just downsteam of the confluence with Bonita Ceek. A smalle suface wate dainage fom the buned Chiicahua Mountains in the southen potion of the wateshed is also designated impaied. Goundwate ate quality of goundwate has been studied in the Uppe ateshed by the Aizona Depatment of ate Resouces and ADQ. These epots ae inconsistent egading the souce of high levels of total dissolved solids TDS), which is the main theat to wate quality in the basin. The souces of TDS in the Saffod Basin could be weatheed dissolved geologic mateials paticulaly evapoites pesent in the Lowe Basin Fill and Uppe Basin Fill) o wate whee the TDS has been concentated via evapoation educing the volume of wate while leaving behind the dissolved mateials). Additional theoies include a lowe atesian aquife has high TDS which flows upwad though faults to concentate TDS in the Lowe Basin Fill and Uppe Basin Fill as well as downwad migation of high TDS wates fom iigation unoff data, summaized by Gootee 2012), do not show any coelation between depth of well and TDS). Chemical paametes that have exceeded minimum quality citeia fo goundwate in the basin ae: TDS, asenic, fluoide, lead and nitite. Many of these exceedances ae located nea the Saffod-Pima coido, upsteam along the as well as south along Highway 191. Many wells have moe than one paamete with an exceedance value. Challenges A complicated subsuface ceates challenges to undestanding egional goundwate hydology. Thee ae few wells extending into the Lowe Basin Fill, esulting in vey little data on geologic mateial below the Uppe Basin Fill. Moe fequent and consistent testing of suface wate chemical data is necessay to bette chaacteize wates, paticulaly those designated inconclusive by ADQ in thei 2012 epot. 48 Chapte 4 Political Geogaphy

9 Little Coloado Aizona New Mexico Alpine Luna Legend Middle 60 D Neighboing atesheds D D D Outstanding ates ADQ 2010) ta Impaied Steams ADR) Cuz Aizona-New Mexico Bounday 170 Uppe ateshed Bounday Majo Roads Goundwate xceedences ADQ) Total Dissolved Solids Asenic Fluoide D Lead Nitite City o Town Majo s Calos Figue 4-4 ate Quality DD Bylas D Ft. Thomas D Calos D 70 D D ate Reseach and Planning Innovations fo Dyland Systems Pedo -illcox D D Pima Thatche Saffod Salt Bonita Ceek agle D D Moenci D Clifton Rio De Bavispe Miles 266 Bowie D 10 D D Ceek Simon D Simon Blue Date Ceated: 1/6/2014 Glenwood Duncan Viden Fancisco Rive Section 4-4 ate Quality 49

10 4 Atlas of the Uppe ateshed Section 4-5 Land Owneship Land unde diffeent owneship is managed in diffeent ways. The Calos Apache ae a soveeign nation with an independent system of land management and wate ights eseved pio to most othes in the wateshed. The United States Foest Sevice USFS), Bueau of Land Management BLM) and Aizona State Land Depatment lease lands to pivate citizens fo uses such as gazing, mining, eceation, and ights of way fo tanspotation and utilities. The havest and collection of foest poducts is also pemitted on USFS land. The State Tust Lands ae often intespesed with fedeally managed land and pivately owned land, and may be sold into pivate owneship in the futue. Seveal small aeas in the wateshed ae managed fo wildlife and eceation by the Bueau of Reclamation, the Salt Poject, the National Pak Sevice and the states Depatments of Game and Fish. Pivate owneship on the emaining pats of the wateshed is pimaily used fo faming, anching, and housing. The entie Uppe ateshed is divided at the state line into two pieces of almost equal size, so that compaing the distibution of land owneship in each state is elatively simple as a pecentage of land epesents the same aceage on eithe side the bode. Moe than half of the land in the geate wateshed is publicly owned and managed by the fedeal goveent USFS, BLM, NPS, and the militay). The Calos Apache Indian Resevation accounts fo anothe 14% 29% in Aizona, but 0% in New Mexico). Othe dissimilaities include a geate degee of pivate owneship, and moe checkeboad owneship of the land in the New Mexico potion of the wateshed. Table 4-3 Land Owneship Land Owne Aizona %) New Mexico %) ntie ateshed %) United States Foest Sevice 23% 49% 37% Bueau of Land Management 23% 18% 20% Indian Lands 29% none 14% State 14% 12% 13% Pivate 10% 22% 16% State o Local Paks none 0.1% 0.1% National Pak Sevice <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% Militay <0.1% none <0.1% Challenges Successful wateshed scale planning equies the suppot of a lage popotion of all affected stakeholdes. The Aizona ate Settlements Act of 2004 and the Adjudication of the have esulted in the edistibution of wate ights in the wateshed to the detiment of some community elationships among diffeent land ownes/manages. Only ten pecent of the egion is pivately owned, howeve these tacts ae concentated along the ives of the wateshed. Ripaian estoation wok often necessitates wok on pivate land. Diffeent land owneship has diffeent goals, laws and egulations, which ae often in conflict with each othe. 50 Chapte 4 Political Geogaphy

11 Little Coloado Figue 4-5 Land Owneship nci s co Ri v e Fa Alpine 12 e Salt Blu e R iv a Ri s n Calo S 170 Calos ve Rio Gande-lephant Butte Luna Middle Bo ni Bylas ta Ft. Thomas Cee k e e le C ag Glenwood 15 Rio Gande-Caballo Moenci k Clifton e Riv Thatche Legend Pima Gil a Saffod 191 Duncan % Viden e G il a Riv Uppe ateshed Bounday Sa n % Pedo -illcox Bowie 23% 10 29% 49% 12% i ve nr 191 Neighboing atesheds Land Owneship BLM) imo 22% S 23% State Pak State Game and Fish 10 USDA Foest Sevice State 17% US Bueau of Land Management Indian/Tibal Mimbes Lodsbug Simon Majo Roads Aizona-New Mexico Bounday Aizona Majo s New Mexico 75 City o Town US Depatment of Defense 70 National Pak Sevice US Fish and ildlife Sevice 146 ta Cuz Pivate 338 Othe Fedeal Agency Animas Aizona Rio De Bavispe Date Ceated: 12/19/ Miles New Mexico ate Reseach and Planning Innovations fo Dyland Systems Section 4-5 Land Owneship 51

12 4 Atlas of the Uppe ateshed Chapte 4 Refeences Aizona Depatment of ate Resouces. 2010). The Aizona ate Atlas. Phoenix, Aizona: Aizona Depatment of ate Resouces. Aizona Depatment of ate Resouces. 2013). Issued Deteminations of Adequate ate Supply. Phoenix, Aizona: Aizona Depatment of ate Resouces. Retieved fom Caey School of Business. 2008). Pepaing fo an Aizona of 10 Million People Repot). Tempe, Aizona: Aizona State Univesity. Map efeences and additional detail on map data can be found in the Appendix 52 Chapte 4 Political Geogaphy