AWPF Program Overview Rodney Held, Executive Director

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1 AWPF Program Overview Rodney Held, Executive Director A Community on Ecosystem Services Conference Major Domestic & International Ecosystem Restoration Initiatives Session December 6, 2010

2 AWPF Purpose The Arizona Water Protection Fund is a competitive state grant program that provides funding for the development and implementation of measures that will restore, maintain and enhance river and riparian resources, including projects that benefit fish and wildlife that are dependent on these important resources.

3 Background Established is 1994 AWPF Commission Arizona Department of Water Resources Arizona State Land Department Funding Legislative Appropriations In-lieu Fees from CAP Gifts, Grants, Donations

4 Funding Categories Capital Projects Research & Data Collection Water Conservation Outside of AMA s Little Colorado River Restoration Demonstration Project Springerville, AZ

5 Appropriations & Grant Awards Fiscal Year Totals Appropriation* $4 M $6 M $5 M $1.6 M $4.5 M $21.1 M In-Lieu Fee* 0 0 $0.5 M 0 0 $0.5 M Legislative Sweeps # of Applications # Grants Awarded Funding Requested* Funding * Numbers Awarded* rounded 0 $28 M $14 M $7.6 M $6 M $55.6 M 0 $7 M $5.5 M $2.5 M $2.5 $17.5 M

6 Appropriations & Grant Awards Fiscal Year Totals Appropriation* In-Lieu Fee* $1.3M $1.3 M Legislative Sweeps # of Applications # Grants Awarded Funding Requested* Funding * Numbers Awarded* rounded $7.5 M $2.7 M 0 $1.3 M $2.2 M $13.7 M $7 M $2.5 M 0 $0.6 M $1 $11.1 M

7 Appropriations & Grant Awards Fiscal Year Totals Appropriation* $2 M $2 M In-Lieu Fee* $1.5 M 0 $2 M $5.4 M $3 M $11.9 M Legislative Sweeps $4 K $2.2 M $2.6 M # of Applications # Grants Awarded Funding Requested* $2.8 M $2 M $5 M $6 M $3.4 M $19.2 M Funding $1.8 M $1 M $2.5 M $4 M $2.9 $12.2 M * Numbers Awarded* rounded

8 Appropriations & Grant Awards Fiscal Year Totals Appropriation* In-Lieu Fee* $0.9 M $2.5 M $3.4 M Legislative Sweeps $2.3 M? $2.3 M # of Applications # Grants Awarded 0? 0 Funding Requested* Funding Awarded* * Numbers rounded 0 $4.9 M $4.9 M 0? 0 Photo Credit: Kerry Schwartz

9 Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project Award Amount: $950, Project Purpose: To install a demonstration project area to test restoration practices for the full-scale Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project (RSHRP).

10 Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project Backwater wetland: January 2003 Backwater wetland: October 2007

11 Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project. Backwater wetland: December 2010

12 Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project. Open water irrigation channels

13 Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project Accomplishments/Benefits. Rio Salado visitor entrance

14 Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project Accomplishments/Benefits Removal of: 1050 tons of tires 84,844 yards of concrete & inert debris 20,125 yards of household and mixed waste Habitat features include:. ~ 58 acres wetland marsh ~ 51 acres aquatic strand ~ 99 acres cottonwood/willow gallery forest ~ 130 acres mesquite bosque habitat Environmental education visitor center Extensive recreational options Improved flood control

15 Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project Lessons Learned Due to the deep groundwater, plantings had to be supplemented by irrigation. Here drip irrigation supplies water to a Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis). Irrigation was removed from the more xeric desert species once established but riparian species require continued irrigation. Riparian species with high soil moisture requirements were supported with open channel irrigation. This irrigation system is less efficient than drip but encouraged natural recruitment of the riparian species.

16 Yuma East Wetlands Riparian Revegetation Project: $285,878 Quechan Indian Nation YEW Restoration Project Phase I: $263,803 Yuma Crossing NHA, YEW Restoration Project Phase I: $256,790 South Channel Phase II Restoration: $603,487 Yuma East Wetlands 68-Acre Riparian Revegetation: $746,668 Total AWPF YEW Funding: $2,156,626

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19 YEW in 2000 YEW in 2007

20 Scope of Projects Site analyses, including soil, salinity and depth to water Topographic surveys Engineering designs for channel grading Planting and irrigation designs based upon site analyses

21 Scope of Projects Preparation of plant propagules Clearing of all exotic plant material Excavation activities Revegetation and irrigation of native aquatic, wetland, riparian and upland habitats Vegetation monitoring

22 25-Acre Pilot Project Prior to Restoration

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27 25-Acre Pilot Project 2 Years After Restoration

28 Phase 1 South Channel Prior to Restoration

29 Phase 1 South Channel During Restoration

30 Phase 1 South Channel Restoration - 2 Years Later

31 Phase 2 South Channel Restoration

32 Phase 2 South Channel During Restoration

33 Phase 2 South Channel 8 Months After Planting

34 Quechan Indian Nation Project Prior to Restoration

35 Quechan Indian Nation Project During Restoration

36 Quechan Indian Nation Project 6 Months After Restoration

37 Quechan Indian Nation Project 3 Years After Restoration

38 Quechan Indian Nation Project Today

39 68-Acre Riparian Revegetation Project Prior to Restoration

40 68-Acre Riparian Restoration Project Year 1

41 68-Acre Riparian Revegetation Project Year 2

42 Accomplishments/Benefits Ecosystem Integrity Wildlife habitat Bird recovery Community involvement Education Low-impact recreation Aesthetic improvement Significant lessons learned

43 Lessons Learned Salt Tolerant Plants - Soil Salinity Thresholds Under 9000 ppm Under ppm ppm plus Honey mesquite Alkali sacaton Inland saltgrass Screwbean mesquite Western sea Hardstem bulrush purslane Wolfberry Heliotropium Three square Yerba manza Marsh fleabane Giant bulrush Sandbar willow Knot grass Creeping spikerush Seepwillow Four wing salt bush

44 The above mentioned species germinated the quickest when seeded in late May early June. Expected successful germination of these species has varied between 60 90%. Yuma East Wetlands Lessons Learned Seed Germination in Saline, Moist Environments Alkali Sacaton Western sea purslane Heliotropium Marsh fleabane

45 Lessons Learned Plug or Container Plantings Inland Saltgrass Hardstem saltgrass Three square Giant bulrush Creeping spikerush The bigger the plug = better chance of successful establishment.

46 Honey mesquite Screwbean mesquite Wolfberry Four winged salt bush Yerba manza Sandbar willow Seepwillow Lessons Learned Containerized Plants

47 Lessons Learned Sheet flooding is necessary to have any potential of establishing robust stands of Gooding willow or cottonwood in saline environments 3 4 plugs of saltgrass and marsh plants planted on 5 centers in moist/wet soils can establish a solid cover within 1-2 years In general plugs used for emergent marsh planting will yield a much higher success than using seeds

48 Lessons Learned Weed maintenance and follow up planting/seeding is key to success Temporary irrigation with sweetwater (salinity below 1000 ppm) can greatly enhance initial establishment Spray irrigation is a bad idea with salty water Leaching soils is expensive and temporary unless you are working in an agricultural flood setup

49 AWPF Program Benefits Water Quality In-stream flow/water supplies Biodiversity Fish and wildlife habit Recreation Flood control Overall watershed health Socioeconomic

50 Additional Information Website: Address: Arizona Water Protection Fund Arizona Department of Water Resources 3550 North Central Avenue Phoenix, AZ Phone: