Volume 3, Number 2 Summer 1990

Tavasci Marsh Now Under Protective AgreementPresident's Column

The Packard Ranch is located atthe confluence of Sycamore Creekand the Verde River, is surroundedby land administered by theCoconino and Prescott NationalForests, and is situated at the southentrance to the Sycamore CanyonNational Wilderness. The ranch hassignificant areas of riparian vegeta-tion and the aquatic habitat is hometo one of Arizona's threatened nativefishes, the spikedace (Meda fulgida).

The grazing of livestock therewill not be eliminated but willprobably be done under a plan ofrest and rotation, the details of whichwill be worked out with the currentlessee. The grazing plans will be con-sistent with new grazing guidelinesbeing prepared by the Forest Servicefor nearby areas along SycamoreCreek and the Verde River.

AGF, under the new agreementwill retain management control overboth the Tavasci Marsh and the Pack-ard Ranch until such time as thePhelps Dodge Corporation elects tosell or exchange these properties to astate or federal land managementagency. PD has been discussing withthe U.S. Forest Service and the Na-tional Park Service the eventual ex-change into public ownership of boththe Tavasci Marsh and the Packard

property.

R esidents of eastern Pima Countytake a certain amount of pride

in the greater environmental aware-ness exhibited in the Tucson Basinwhen compared to other areas ofthe State. The all Democrat CityCouncil and Mayor's Office are com-mined to environmentarprotectionand would like to be perceived asmaking decisions which are environ-mentally sound. This is one reasonwhy Tucson Water's overpumpingof groundwater in the TanqueVerde sub-basin (see story on page6) is an especially egregious act.

Within the last several years, anumber of statewide and localpolicies have been adopted, or havebeen recommended for adoption,which are designed specifically toprotect Arizona's riparian environ-ments. The Governor's ExecutiveOrder certainly tops the list.

Within Pima County there arealso progressive floodplain manage-ment policies, a substantive riparianland acquisition program, and openspace and wildlife habitat studiescommissioned by local governmentwhich identify Tanque Verde Washas a significant resource. Yet,despite the increased awareness andefforts to preserve riparian resour-ces in the Tucson Basin, TucsonWater persists in its efforts to suckthe very life out of the TanqueVerde sub-basin aquifer, and in theprocess, is irreparably damaging oneof the few remaining high quality

Ed.

A t a recent public meeting theArizona Game and Fish Com-

mission signed a joint agreementwith the Phelps Dodge Corporationthat places Tavasci Marsh and thePackard Ranch under cooperative

management.Tavasci Marsh is a lush riparian

area that is located just north andeast of, and contiguous with, theTuzigoot National Monument in theVerde Valley. This one-time oxbowof the Verde River, now isolatedfrom the river itself, gets its remain-ing water from a natural spring. The364-acre area is included in a list ofthe 20 most important andthreatened wetlands in Arizona, oneof the last marshlands remaining incentral Arizona. Even in its currentpoor condition, the area is home to adiversity of wildlife. Over 110 speciesof birds have been listed as occurringthere, including both the Virginiaand Sora rails, species whose relativeabundance is closely tied to theavailability of suitable wetlandhabitat.

With careful restoration thisarea will support a rich variety ofnatural plant, bird, and animalspecies. Under the newagreementthe Arizona Game and Fish Depart-ment (AGF) will restore the upperpart of Tavasci Marsh to marshlandsas quickly as possible. By floodingthe upper part of the area, grazing oflivestock by current lessees willnecessarily be restricted to the lowerportions of the property. The plan isto eventually phase out all grazing.

-See ANDY,page 61

CURRENT

Executive Order No.90-10

Governor's Task Force on Environmental Impact Assessments

towns, and other appropriate politi-cal subdivisions may have substantialdirect, indirect, and cumulative ef-fects on the environment; and

WHEREAS, the protection of the en-vironment, the management ofdevelopment, and the prudent use ofthe State's land, water, and otherresources will be fostered by theproper location and design ofprojects initiated, funded, orauthorized by the State, its depart-ments and agencies, counties, cities,towns, and other appropriate sub-divisions; and

WHEREAS, the potentially adverseenvironmental impacts of projects in-itiated, funded, or authorized by theState, its departments and agencies,counties, cities, towns, and other ap-propriate subdivisions can bereduced or eliminated if such im-pacts are assessed before the ap-proval of such project andreasonable and prudent mitigationmethods are developed to minimizeadverse impacts;

Now, Therefore, I, Rose Mof-ford, Governor of the State ofArizona, by virtue of the authorityvested in me by the Constitution andthe laws of this State, do hereby cre-ate the Governor's Task Force onEnvironmental Impact Assessments,and order and direct that:

~e Governor and the Legislature.appear to have taken a prudent

approach to some recent environ-mental legislation. Senate Bill 1327"Environmental Impact Reports" hadalready passed the Health and Wel-fare Committee and was on its way tothe Appropriations Committee,where it apparently died. The billdied mainly because because bothlegislators and agency repre-sentatives feared that costs and man-power requirements needed to meetthe provisions of the bill would beprohibitive. However, in order tokeep the concept of providing ap-propriate review of State develop-ment projects alive, the Governorwas urged to create through execu-tive order a task force of private andpublic agency representatives todevelop a well thought out approachto new legislation. The order creat-ing that task force is reprinted herein its entirety.

WHEREAS, the protection of the en-vironment is of vital importance tothe State of Arizona; and

WHEREAS, the State of Arizona andits political subdivisions must regu-late and serve as models in the effortto protect the human environmentand the natural resources of theState; and

WHEREAS, the design and locationof projects initiated, funded, orauthorized by the State, its depart-ments and agencies, counties, cities,

~

1. The Task Force shall:

Compare various policies and proce-dures used by the Federal govern-ment and states which requireenvironmental impact assessments.

~timate the potential costs involvedin preparing environmental impact as-sessments, and evaluate options for as-sessing financial responsibility forpreparing such statements.

Recommend activities which shouldrequire environmental impact assess-ments, and identify any possible ex-emptions.

Identity the criteria for environmentalimpact assessments, and determinethe time necessary for submittal andreview.

Develop recommendations for the im-plementation of an environmental im-pact review and approval process.

Consider such other related issues asthe Governor may direct.

2. Members of the Task Forceshall be appointed by and serve atthe pleasure of the Governor, andshall serve without compensation.

3. The Governor shall designatea Chairperson from the membership.

4. The Task Force shall meet atthe call of the Chairperson.

5. The Department of Environ-mental Quality shall provide staff

support.6. The Task Force shall issue its

final report by December 1, 1990.

2

PROJECTS

Pintail Lake and other northern Arizona effluent lakes are producing waterfowl rather than problems

Producing Wildlife With Treated Emuent

Editor's Note: The following article was ex-cerpted from one written by Fred Smith ofthe Arizona Republic, Apri123, 1990. Addi-tional information was supplied by LanyRiley, Marc Dahlberg, and Sam Lowry ofthe Arizona Game and Fish Department,and Gary Myers of the Apache-SitgreavesNational Forest.

per day is piped to Jacques Lake. Yeteven this amount does not use themarsh to its potential. Pond levelsreach their peak capacity during

winter-spring period, yet throughmuch of the winter the ponds arefrozen. But by early summer waterlevels drop to the point where landbridges form to the nesting islands,thus exposing nesting birds to preda-tion.

In order to provide a more stablewater supply to the pondsthroughout the year, a large stabiliza-tion basin was built in 1989. Thisbasin was designed to serve as a reser-voir for the storage of effluent flowsduring high flow periods when theponds could not otherwise containthese amounts of water. Releasesduring low flow periods of the yearwould then help to stabilize pondlevels and thereby increase wildlifeproduction. However, for a numberof reasons, no water was diverted tothis stabilization basin this pastwinter.

There appear to be some seriousthreats to the maintenance of this ex-tremely important wildlife area. Theagreement under which JacquesLake was established is almost at anend. Even given its extension, theamounts ofwater needed to maintainthe productivity of the area are muchgreater than provided for within theoriginal agreement. Thus, theSanitary District for Pinetop-Lakeside has apparently no obliga-tion to divert these additionaleffluent flows to Jacques Lake. Thereis already a market for these effluentwaters in the plans for residentialand recreational development in thePinetop-Lakeside area.

Ron Smith

p intail Lake, just a few miles northof the city of Show Low, looks for

all intensive purposes, like any othershallow lake. It is lined with a typicalmix of aquatic vegetation such as bul-rushes and cattails. A variety ofshorebirds and waterfowl are seenfeeding in and out of the emergentvegetation along the shore andamong the little nesting islandscreated to protect nesting waterfowlfrom predation. At times, in fact, theproduction of waterfowl per acre hasbeen as high as any refuge in NorthAmerica.

The enormous productivity ofthis little 47 acre lake comes ul-timately from the sewers of the cityof Show Low. Since about 1979, thiscity has have been pumping over200,000 gallons of treated effluentper day into Pintail Lake. Prior tothis, effluent from the city's waste-treatment plant was dumped intoShow Low Creek, a tributary of theSalt River. The waste water now goesfirst to a giant tub where the solids,or sludge settles to the bottom. Thewater on top is filtered twice throughan aeration process where aerobicbacteria begin the process ofbreak-ing down the organic matter. Afterthis, the water is sent underground toPintail Lake and to another areacalled Redhead Marsh.

The nutrient rich water has, ofcourse, created a lush vegetation notonly in the lakes, but also along thebanks of the canals through whichthe water is transported. This vegeta-tion provides the secondary cleans-ing of the effluent water. Bothanaerobic and aerobic bacteria breakdown much of the solid organic mat-

ter, producing primary nutrientssuch as nitrogen, phosphorus, andpotassium in the process. Plants usethese nutrients for growth. Thenutrients also result in the produc-tion of green algae, some blue greenalgae, diatoms, etc. The accumulat-ing biomass can result in the lake be-coming overloaded. However, thecontinued exceptional clarity of thewater in Pintail Lake would seem toindicate that the nutrient load goinginto the lake is being adequatelyused.

The problem of nutrient over-load is being handled through paral-lel systems. One goes to Pintail Lake,the other goes to Redhead Marsh.An underground pipeline carries ef-fluent first to a holding area calledTelephone Lake. From there theditch runs to Redhead Marsh, thenthrough a gate to a natural ripariancorridor. There is no net dischargeinto Show Low Creek. To-date watersamples taken from the aquiferbeneath this system have revealed nounusual contaminant levels thatwould pose a threat to local drinkingwater supplies.

Jacques Lake. The cities ofPinetop and Lakeside also divert ef-fluent waters to a man-made marshcalled Jacques Lake. This lake was es-tablished under a 20-year agreementbetween the Pinetop-LakesideSanitary District and the ArizonaGame and Fish Department. Underterms of the original agreement400,000 gallons of effluent per daywould be sent to Jacques Lake forthe purpose of wildlife production.

There are seven ponds withinthis marsh complex, yet only three ofthese are full ofwater.1Wo of thethree are actually producing water-fowl on six nesting islands. The cruxof the problem in using Jacques Laketo its maximum productive potentialis that there is insufficient wastewater being diverted there. Current-ly, over 800,000 gallons of effluent

3

PROJECTS

Verde Update

EP A to Evaluate Resources of the Verde River

The goals of the planningprocess are three-fold:

(I) To make the public more awareof the goals of the Clean Water Act,the Section 404 program, and theaquatic resource values of the Verde

River,

(2) To assure that future develop-ment projects that would dischargefill or dredge materials into waters ofthe U.S. consider compliance withSection 404 early in the planning

process.

(3) To help other federal, state, andlocal efforts to develop comprehen-sive riparian management plans thatmeet the goals of the Clean WaterAct for maintaining and restoringthe physical, chemical, and biologicalintegrity of the Verde River.

Interagency Coordination. Al-though the responsibility for thisproject belongs primarily to EP A

A lthOUgh an exact timetable has

not been announced, the San

Francisco office of the Environmen-tal Protection Agency (EP A) is plan-ning an extensive survey of the upperVerde River. This project is titled"Advanced Identification" (ADID)and will identify aquatic sites whichare potentially suitable or unsuitablefor the disposal of fill materials intothe Verde River in accordance withEPA's Section 404(b)(l) Guidelines.Keith Hughes, a former University ofArizona graduate student, recentlyjoined the Fish and Wildlife Servicestaff within their Ecological Servicesoffice in Phoenix and will lead theADID study.

Although the results of the sur-vey will provide only informationand advice, the site identification willhave an important bearing on the is-suance of Section 404 permits in thefuture. The intent of the survey is toinform applicants for a Section 404permit in advance of the environmen-tal issues that will be affected by the

applicants proposed development.The process will also serve to en-courage future development outsideof areas designated as unsuitable be-cause of special environmentalvalues. The process, since it will alsoinvolve extensive public participa-tion, will greatly increase publicawareness of the resource values ofthe Verde River, and consequentlyassure that no Section 404 permitswill be issued that have not been sub-jected to significant public scrutiny.

Clarkdale to Childs. Although a125-mile stretch of the upper VerdeRiver from the headwaters at Sul-livan Lake to Horseshoe Lake iswithin the project's plans, theprimary focus will be on the areafrom roughly Clarkdale to Childs.This is an area that has been sub-jected to the greatest impact, and hasa complex ownership and land-use

pattern.

ready available from the U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service, the type map-ping will use existing National Wet-land Inventory Maps (U.S. F&WS),standards, and techniques to producethe eventual vegetation classifica-tion. The map data will then bestored in digital form in thegeographic information system(GIS) administered by the StateLand Department's Arizona Landand Resource Information System(ALRIS).

A number of agencies will be in-volved in other aspects of the techni-cal process of assessing resourcevalues and identifying potential ad-verse effects of development. Theyare simply too numerous toenumerate here.

Identification or Sites. Evengiven the enormous background ofenvironmental data, the process ofidentifying the suitability or un-suitability of river sites for develop-ment will be difficult. The EP A will,however, give emphasis to the fourrestrictions to discharges of fillmaterials. These are referred to inSection 230.10(a)-(d) of theGuidelines. Sites will have to be clas-sified as to suitable or not with littleinformation about specific develop-ments. The ADID process will, how-ever, develop enough informationabout sites so that EP A can reachsome general conclusions about thedevelopment activities that are likelyto occur on a site, the likely impactsto the site environment, and theavailability of less damaging alterna-tives.

For more information on theVerde River ADID project, contactKeith Hughes at (602) 379-4720.

Ed.

and the Army Corps of Engineers,many other federal, state, and privateagencies will participate. Althoughthe ADID project is not formally un-derway, much of the necessaryresource surveys have already beenstarted. For example, EP A hasprovided a grant to the ArizonaDepartment of EnvironmentalQuality (ADEQ) to produce vegeta-tion maps of the Verde River'sriparian corridor at a scale of1:24,(KX} (similar to 7.5 minutetopographic map series). With aerialphotography of the river corridor al-

4

PROJECTS

Fall Fish Free-For-AIlVolunteers

A model in environmental engineering

The Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary

Editor's Note: In this and the next issue ofthis newsletter we will be allotting space toarticles about waste water managementand its potential for creating or improvingriparian habitat. The by products of innova-tive management and competent planningcan be enonnous. The Arcata erample,though heavily dependent on a system ofnatural marshes, nonetheless points theway to more effective, less costly means ofrecycling waste water for beneficial uses.

most modern sewage lagoons. Theprocess begins within unvegetatedponds where aerobic bacteria go towork. These ponds are at the head ofa series of a vegetated chain oflagoons having a balance of openwater and marsh vegetation. Theseplant filled lagoons are a stabilizingbuffer between the upper oxidationponds and Humboldt Bay.

In addition to this naturalprocess, the waste water ischlorinated soon after it leaves theoxidation ponds, thus killing anypotential disease causing organisms.Since chlorine dissipates ratherquickly, the process does little harmto plant or animal life. The partiallytreated sewage effluent takes ap-proximately two months to journeythrough the series of man-madelagoons and marshes before it is final-Iy pumped into Humboldt Bay. Themarsh water enters the bay generallyclearer and cleaner than the baywater itself.

This successful use of wastewater was not initiated without afight. The citizens of Arcata andtheir city council had some seriousbureaucratic hurdles to overcome inconvincing both state and federalregulatory agencies of the soundnessof their plan.

This waste water treatmentmethod of course depended on theavailability of extensive areas of low-lying wetlands. Even many inlandcities are beginning to look at thepossibilities of using existingmarshlands to treat their own sewageeffluent. Although the methods usedhere may not be suitable for thedesert southwest, we can probably atleast take a page from the Arcatascrapbook and take heart at whatdetermination, creative engineering,and citizen support can do to bringabout a solution to the problem ofwaste water disposal.

p lease save a space on your calen-dars for the Third Annual 1990

Fish Count. Because many of youstated that October was too busy amonth, these surveys can be con-ducted anytime from Septemberthrough November (we've even beenknown to take sampling data fromDecember). So you now have oneless excuse to get out of this fun-filled Fall Fish Free-for-All.

For those of you that may behearing about this for the first time,this project was initiated in 1988 as away of compiling long-term data onthe fish fauna in the streams ofArizona and New Mexico. This sur-vey has a special interest in learningmore about threatened and en-dangered native fish populations inthese states and monitoring theirstatus.

A report on the 1988 and 1989sampling data will be sent by Augustto all of last year's participants andto any other interested parties on re-quest. Newand "improved" datasheets and instructions will also besent out to participants at this sametime. Please let us know soon if youare interested in participating in thisvolunteer program this coming Fallto make sure that we keep. you onour mailing list. Your help is greatlyappreciated. A simple, hand-scrib-bled note or phone call to DeanHendrickson, Troy Corman, or ScottHart will suffice.

Thank you again to all thoseenergetic volunteers that par-ticipated last year and hopefully willagain this year. If you have any ques-tions or suggestions feel free to callor write.

T he following article is a summaryof two published articles, one

written by Doug Stewart and publish-ed in Smithsonian, Vol. 21, No.1,pp. 174-179,1990 and the other by J.William Price written a few years ear-lier for Sierra, May-June 1987.

The Arcata Marsh and WildlifeSanctuary is a 154-acre public wet-lands park wedged between northernCalifornia's Humboldt Bay and thesmall city of Arcata. This same site inthe late 19708 contained an aban-doned dump, an old railroad trestle,and the rotting remains of a lumbermill. Rebuilt under funding from theState Coastal Conservancy, thissanctuary was dedicated in 1981. Thiswetland now attracts astoundingnumbers of ducks, coots egrets,herons, hawks, avocets, and pelicans.Naturalists have recorded almost 200bird species within the sanctuary.

The quiet, pleasant smellingpark belies the odorous origin of itswater supply. The sanctuary in partat least, owes its very existence to theoutpourings from Arcata's toilets,which have actually become a sourceof civic pride and humor.

Arcata's raw sewage first flowsinto an enormous, open-air concretetub where coarse solids simply settleto the bottom. The waste that isdrained from the tub is then chan-neled to a pair oflarge oxidationponds close to the headworks. It ishere that the organic matter isbroken down by micro organisms.The Arcata system, however, is amore leisurely one than employed in

Dean Hendrickson

Native Fish Biologist

Arizona Game and Fish Department

(602) 942-3000

Ron Smith

5

PROJECTS

Degradation of a riparian woodland in the Tucson metro area

Groundwater Overdraftin the Tanque Verde Sub-Basin

-ANDY, from page 1

riparian habitats remaining in theTucson Basin.

In all fairness to the Tucson CityCouncil and the Mayor, their recentdirective to reduce pumping in thesub-basin is a step in the right direc-tion. Unfortunately, if the ArizonaDepartment of Water Resourcesdata are correct, even with the reduc-tion, pumping there will still exceednatural recharge. They may havebought some time for the trees, butthe long range prognosis is not good.

So the question is why does thepumping continue when everyonewants to do the right thing, and thepolitical winds are blowing asfavorably as one can reasonably ex-pect them to blow in a state likeArizona? Well, when you separatethe wheat from the chaff it comesdown to the bottom line: the cost ofwater. Cheap water, or more ap-propriately, the desire to maintaincheap water, lies at the heart of theproblem. Tucson Water can shut theTanque Verde pumps off entirely, orat the very least cut back pumping to1981 pumping levels, but not withouta cost"the cost of bringing water intothe city over greater distances andfrom greater depths.

Increasing coSts, however, fliesin the face of another City policy:minimizing the cost-of-service to itswater customers. Maintaining theriparian habitat along Tanque VerdeWash is in many respects a quality oflife issue, and quality costs. InArizona, the true value of water in-cludes more than the cost of develop-ment and delivery as reflected bylocal water rates. The true cost ofwater also includes the harder toquantify public trust values. Untilthe State's water users recognize thetrue value of water, and politiciansfind a way to convince them that theyshould be paying the true value, thenenvironmental quality programs willalways have an economic hurdle tojump. And as the Tanque Verdesituation points out, it can be onetall hurdle.

and cottonwood trees are visible anda number of other trees are indecline and deteriorating. Many ofthese are large, mature trees whichhave undoubtedly weathered otherperiods of low flows as a result ofbelow normal precipitation in thewatershed.

Individual well owners in thearea have also experienced a severedecline in the water levels in theirwells; some wells have actually gonedry. In response to the situation, agroup of affected property owners inthe area have formed the TanqueVerde Well Owner's Association inan attempt to address their concernswith a collective voice. They havehired an attorney and are now work-ing to influence local decision-makers. Local environmentalorganizations and the ArizonaRiparian Council have added theirvoice to the rising chorus to stop thegroundwater overdraft. The ArizonaRiparian Council's actions includedthe development of a position state-ment in association with the SierraClub, Arizona Native Plant Society,and the Tucson Audubon Society.ARC also co-sponsored a publicforum in association with theaforementioned environmental or-ganizations and several neighbor-hood groups, a public forum on theplight of washes in the Tucson Basin.

On Monday, May 14, 1990, theCity Council met in a work sessionand addressed the issue. At thatmeeting the City Council tookseveral actions, including a reductionin Tucson Water's pumping to below10,(XX) acre-feet per year. The Coun-cil also developed guidelines on wellusage which will help minimize thedamage. Unfortunately, even thesereduced pumping rates will continuegroundwater overdraft that far ex-ceeds natural recharge even in a nor-

See TANQU~ page 7

~nque Verde Wash is one of the."major tributary washes to the

Santa Cruz River in the TucsonBasin. Surface flow is intermittentand riparian woodland dominated bydeciduous broadleaf forest andmesquite bosque occurs on thefloodplain along the valley floor. Thearea is interspersed with varying in-tensities of residential development.The area has been identified as aClass I Wildlife Habitat by re-searchers working at the Universityof Arizona, and it is generally ac-knowledged that the riparian wood-land along Tanque Verde Wash issome of the highest quality riparianhabitat remaining in the TucsonBasin. Pima County has acquired alarge tract along Tanque VerdeWash partly to preserve the riparianhabitat there.

Data from the Arizona Depart-ment of Water Resources indicatesthat natural recharge in the TanqueVerde Wash sub-basin is in theneighborhood of 7 ,500 acre-feet peryear. Beginning in 1981 and continu-ing on through 1987, Tucson Water,a public utility, began pumping 8,(XX)to 9,(XX) acre feet per year. In 1988,new wells were added and existingwells were replaced and TucsonWater's pumpage increased to 14,400acre-feet. This was in addition tonearly 4,(XX) acre feet per year thatwas and continues to be pumped bylocal land owners and two privatewater companies. Within this samethree year period, the sub-basin hasexperienced below normal recharge.

The end result has been thedevelopment of a local cone ofdepression within the Tanque Verdesub-basin. This has seriously im-paired surface and sub-surface flowswithin a portions of Tanque VerdeWash floodplain aquifer. Thelowered water table has caused ir-reparable damage to the riparianwoodland. Numerous dead mesquite

Andy Laurenz4 President

6

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

Corps Responds toCriticisms

Arizona's Fourth Instream Flow Pennit

Safeguarding the Hassayampa

It is well recognized that riparianspecies composition across afloodplain is determined primarily bytheir elevation above the water table.This measure explains much of thevegetation variability from stream-side areas to upper terraces. The per-mit application was developed usingthe logic that the current riparianforest composition and structure isdependent upon the relative posi-tions of the vegetation on thefloodplain and the current elevationof the water table. We have shownthat the water table and streamflowsin the preserve are closely related.Therefore, the existing riparianforest is intimately dependent uponexisting streamflow conditions, andany changes in the streamflow couldhave adverse consequences for the in-tegrity of the forest.

The permit was explicitly written10 include only non-flood conditionsat this lime. Now the research teamat Hassayampa is faced with the fartougher challenge of determiningwhat aspects of natural floods arecritical 10 regenerating species,developing floodplain landforms,and 10 providing essential water,nutrients, and substrate conditionsfor the Hassayampa's plant andanimal communities.

T he u.s. Army Corps of Engineershas replied to criticisms filed with

that agency by the ArizonaFloodplain Management Association(AFMA). In replying, the Corps hasclarified its position on administra-tion of Section 404 of the CleanWater Act in Arizona, particularlywith respect to the use of NationwidePermit #26. This permit does notallow the discharge of dredged or fillmaterials if done above the head-waters of the river. Copies of theAFMA letter and the Corpsresponse are available from JanFarmer, AFMA, 3335 W. DurangoSt., Phoenix, AZ 85009.

What follows is an excerpt fromthe Corps response:

The September 26, 19891etterfrom the Arizona FloodplainManagement Association (FPMA)...makes two recommendations. Thefirst is that the Corps limit theirprograms to actions that impact onlysensitive reaches ofwaterway and thatthe Corps develop a map showingspecific jurisdictional waterways withsensitive environmental aspects.Such a procedure would violate exist-ing federal regulations. The FPMA'scall for broader use of nationwidepermit #26 goes against currentmomentum to limit its use in thestate of Arizona. Witness the recentefforts to redesignate a particularreach of the Verde River as beingbelow the headwaters and therebyremoving nationwide permit #26from possible use along that reach.Indeed, it is possible that nationwidepermit #26 will be modified on a na-tional basis in the near future.

The second recommendation re-quests that the Corps abandon theuse of the ordinary high water mark,or at least equate it with a particularflood recurrence interval. As statedearlier in this letter, such a policycannot be reconciled with the defini-

Brian RichterHassayampa Preserve Manager

T he Hassayampa River Preservenear Wickenburg has been

granted an instream flow permit.This water right safeguards crucialwater supplies for this Nature Con-servancy preserve, which protectsfive miles of some of the best cotton-wood-willow riparian forest left inthe State.

To date, instream permits havebeen granted for Ramsey Canyon,Canelo Hills Cienega, and for theAravaipa Canyon Wilderness.

At least 42 additional instreamflow applications have been sub-mitted to DWR by various state andfederal agencies and private organiza-tions. In 1987, DWR appointed anInstream Flow Task Force (seereport on page 11) composed of rep-resentatives from many of these or -ganizations in an attempt to set someguidelines for the biological andhydrological requirements of in-stream flow applications. While thefinal report from the Task Force hasbeen due for nearly a year now,DWR's approval of the Hassayampapermit is evidence that, in the inter-im, the agency is willing to act onsome of these applications if techni-cal information is complete, andprotests by other water users havebeen resolved.

In formulating their request forstreamflows to protect the riparianforest of the Hassayampa, the NatureConservancy was challenged by thequestion, "How does the hydrologicregime support the species composi-tion and structural diversity of this ,forest?" The many answers to thisquestion are coming primarily from ariparian plant regeneration study byJulie Stromberg and Duncan Pattenof the Center for EnvironmentalStudies at AS.U.. In addition,preserve manager Holly Richter isconducting a riparian communityclassification, and I am doing re-search on the influences of floodingin the riparian zone.

-TANQU& from page 6

mal rainfall year. While the Council'sactions are a step in the right direc-tion their response is only a halfwaymeasure which fails to effectivelydeal with the problem at hand:groundwater overdraft in excess ofnatural recharge which impairs thesurface and sub-surface waterresource.

-See CORP, page 8Andy Laurenzi

7

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

on steps that must be taken toprotect wetlands. Recommendationsincluded providing incentives forprivate landowners who protect wet-lands, increased restoration effortsand improvements in currentregulatory programs. Instead of im-plementing the recommendations,however, the administration createda wetlands task force to study theproblem. Bush's usual tactic of favor-ing study over environmental actionhas allowed drainage of as many as500,00 acres of wetlands since crea-tion of the task force.

,-

Wetlands Bill Says"No Net Loss"{and means it)

Editor's Note: The following article isreprinted from Conservation 90, Environ-mental Digest for the Resource Conserva-tionAlliance, VaL8, No.4, June 1990,National Wildlife Federation.

Charlotte WolfeNational Wildlife Federation

Recent Publications

The Salt River Project has an-nounced publication of:

Arizona Waterline, Athia Hardt

(editor).This is a 270 page volume com-

prising a 16 map, two-color wateratlas as well as 60 articles that havebeen published in the quarterlynewsletter of the same name since1982. The volume traces the evolu-tion of Arizona's water issues fromthe earliest settlements to recent,controversial concerns. It highlightsthe political, economic, and environ-mental aspects of Arizona's lifebloodand provides insight into the manyperspectives that have shaped localand state water regulations.

To reserve a copy, send a checkpayable to Salt River Project in theamount of $31.96 (tax incl.) to:

Corporate CommunicationsSalt River ProjectP .0. Box 52025Phoenix, AZ 85072-2025

Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

-CORP,frompage 7

tion of ordinary high water markfound in existing federal regulations...

The FPMA suggestion of limit-ing Section 404 jurisdiction to watersthat "have not been obliterated byurban development..." is unaccep-table for several reasons. First theterm obliterated is not defined.Second, the Corps' 404 program in-corporates an important public inter-est evaluation that encompassesmuch more than biological values. Is-sues such as private property rights,flood control, open space, waterquality, economics, aesthetics, cul-tural resources, and cumulative im-pacts are considered as well.

Julia FonsecaMember, ARC

Improving Southwestern RiparianAreas Through Watershed Manage-ment, by Leonard F. DeBano andLarry J. Schmidt. General TechnicalReport RM-182, December 1989,Rocky Mountairi Range and ForestExperiment Station. Available fromthe RMF&RES, 240 W. ProspectRd., Ft. Collins, CO 80526.

The Water Resources ResearchCenter at the University of Arizonahas announced the publication oftwo issue papers:

Integrated Water Management inArizona by Susanna Eden. This paperpresents a state-of-knowledge assess-ment of the institutional oppor-tunities for and constraints hinderingintegrated water management inArizona.

Instream Flow Rights: A Strategyto Protect Arizona's Streams by LoisKulakowski and Barbara Tellman.This paper is a general review of theissues and concerns relating to in-stream flow rights in Arizona.

The WRRC papers can be ob-tained free of charge by writing to:

Ms. Debbie Weller, LibrarianWater Resources Research CenterGeology Building, Room 318University of ArizonaTucson, AZ 85721

p romises of wetlands protection byPresident Bush have fallen flat

since he pledged to "protect all exist-ing wetlands, no matter how small."Representative Charles E. Bennett(D-FL) isn't wasting time on emptyspeeches. His Wetlands No Net LossAct of 1990, H.R.4528, would make .President Bush's campaign promiseof "no net loss ofwetlands" nationalpolicy.

Wetlands act as natural pollu-tion filters, provide flood control andwater storage, and are a rich nestingground for fish and other wildlife. Ac-cording to Bennett, the vast fish,wildlife and ecological resourcesprovided by wetlands make protect-ing them one of our highestpriorities. Our nation cannot affordto lose this rich natural heritage.

Bennett's No Net Loss Actwould give grants to states todevelop wetland conservation plans,and provide money from offshore oiland gas leases to private landownerswho protect wetlands. Also, the bill,recognizing the Army Corps ofEngineers' expertise in dealing withpermitting of projects involving wet-lands, retains the Corps' authority togrant permits for these projects.However, it gives the Corps a clearmandate to give priority to wetlandconsiderations. The new bill keepsthe present oversight role of the En-vironmental Protection Agency(EP A). In addition, it strengthensthe role of the federal and state fishand wildlife agencies in reviewingpermit actions.

In 1988, the National WetlandsPolicy Forum, a group representingdiverse interests including develop-ment, agriculture, state agencies andenvironmental organizations"agreed

8

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

Relicensing of the Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Project

public access. The dredging of all oreven a portion of this lake wouldallow for significant improvement ofthat fishery.

In addition to the biologicalvalues at the springs, the water is richwith calcium carbonate, which canform travertine terraces such asthose in Havasu Canyon. However,water is diverted from the FossilCreek before the calcium carbonatehas had a chance to settle out in thechannel.

The hydro electric project hasbeen in operation since 1909, Childshaving been constructed in 1908-1909 and Irving in 1915. The projectis eligible for placement on the Na-tional Register of Historic Places.No major changes in the operationof the plants are proposed, althoughAPS may look into operating Childsas a peaking power plant.

Any public comments orproposals for studies associated withthe relicensing should be sent to:

Fearl M. ParkerLicensing DepartmentArizona Public Service CompanyP .0. Box 53999Phoenix, AZ 85072-3999

Ron Smith

federal list as an endangered species,and which exists in Arizona only inthe Virgin River, would probably dowell in Fossil Creek, provided therewas sufficient habitat protected fromthe invasion of exotic fishes. Thereinlies the rub.

A diversion dam diverts the en-tire flow of Fossil Creek at ap-proximately 0.3 miles below thespring and transports it through anelevated wooden aqueduct to theIrving power plant. This flow is pick-ed up again 2.6 miles downstream atthe Irving power plant. Water in thechannel, if any, combined with waterdiverted from Fossil Springs and sentthrough the turbines at Irving, isstored in Stehr Lake and used againin the turbines at Childs.

The relicensing of thishydroelectric project would seem tooffer an opportunity to evaluate thefeasibility of returning a portion ofthose diverted flows back to thestream channel. The creation of anadditional 2.6 miles of riparianhabitat and a safe haven for somerare or endangered native fishspecies would seem a benefit wellworth the additional engineeringneeded to adjust the operating sys-tem at the two power plants.

According to Larry Riley,Aquatic Habitat Coordinator, AGF,recreational opportunity might alsobe improved through better manage-ment of Stehr Lake and upgrading

ANNUAL MEETING NOTICE

Mark your calendars early. The annual meeting and pro-gram of THE ARIZONA RIPARIAN COUNCIL will beheld in the Tucson area, November 2-3. Time, place, andtopics of the agenda will be announced la ter .

Most of the information for the follow-ing story was supplied by Tom Cain,Fisheries Biologist, Coconino Nation-al Forest.A rizona Public Service Comp~ny

CAPS) has recently applied tothe Federal Energy Regulatory Com-mission for a relicensing of theChilds- Irving hydroelectric projecton Fossil Creek in Yavapai and Gilacounties. The public input period forthe relicensing is 60 days, whichbegan on May 4. Public commentmust be received by APS by July 3,1990, although this deadline by nomeans ends the opportunity forpublic involvement. If granted therelicense would be in effect for 50

years.Fossil Springs supplies a con-

stant 43 cubic feet per second Ccfs)for the hydroelectric project. Accord-ing to Dean Hendrickson of theArizona Game and Fish Depart-ment, this rate of flow makes FossilSprings "...one of the biggest, if notthe biggest natural spring inArizona." The spring supports a well

developed, though very brief,riparian area and a purely native non-game fishery. The roundtail chub,gila chub, and an introduced popula-tion of razorback suckers are presentat the site. The chubs are presentlylisted federally as Category 2 speciesunder the Endangered Species Act,and are listed as threatened by theArizona Game and Fish DepartmentCAGF). The razorback sucker ispresently being proposed for listingas endangered under the EndangeredSpecies Act.

Because of the exceptional flowrate from this spring, Hendricksonsays that the site offers enormouspotential as a transplant site forother rare or endangered species offish. The spike dace and the loachminnow, for example, only prosperin some of the larger streams inArizona and New Mexico. The flowrates of Fossil Springs approachesthat of some of these streams.Likewise, the woundfin, now on the

9

ARC BUSINESS

Protection andEnhancement Committee

Goodbye Bill and Lauren

The committee has made significantprogress towards producing an an-notated bibliography of riparianliterature. The bibliography willproduced on a copier and also oncomputer disk. It should be availablefor distribution in both of thesemedia by the fall annual meeting.

Kris Randall

Water ResourcesCommittee

standards including the mining in-dustry, irrigation districts, wastewater treatment plants,municipalities, natural resource agen-cies, environmental groups andothers.

Andy Laurenzi and I have triedto attend the roundtable discussiongroups on behalf of the ARC. Thesemeetings are held approximatelyevery two weeks and, so far, havebeen held in Phoenix and Tucson.Representatives of environmentalgroups and resource agencies arebadly out-numbered by members ofthe regulated community. It is impor-tant that environmental concerns arevoiced so that they can be factoredinto the equation which will be usedto formulate the final standards.

The ARC supports the highestwater quality standards which can bescientifically justified for each desig-nated use. Also, we have a keen in-terest in the creation of wetland andriparian habitats through the use ofeffluent, recharge water or perhapsother sources. Multiple use andreuse of water in the Southwest mustbe encouraged in order to keep ourState from becoming more tan thanit already is.

I will be mailing Appendix C ofADEQ's preliminary draft surfacewater quality standard rules to ARCmembers in the State who expressedan interest in working on the WaterResources Committee. Appendix Clists the surface water stream seg-ments of the State and their desig-nated uses. I am asking that thereviewers check the list of stream seg-ments and make additions as neededto make sure that all waters havebeen considered. Other memberswho are willing to review the list,please contact me and I will send youone.

Instream Flow Update.There are now five instream flow

permit applications which have beengranted, the newest ones beingPeeple's Canyon and the Hassayam-pa River. Additionally, The RamseyCanyon permit has been readjustedto reflect monthly flows. TheArizona Department of WaterResources is moving forward ingranting permits although they stillhave not moved much closer to estab-lishing rules governing the proce-dure. The next step is for the draftreports of the hydrology and biologysubcommittees to go out for review. Iwould expect the Instream FlowTask Force will be reconvened orreconstituted and the reports dis-cussed. Hopefully, the task force willreach a consensus and the rulemaking process would move forward.It has been a long process.

ADEQ's Triennial Surface WaterReview

The triennial review of Arizona'ssurface water quality standards bythe Arizona Department of Environ-mental Quality grinds along atfrustratingly slow pace. At stake inthe process is what the surface waterquality standards will be in the Statefor the next three years. There aremany in the State that have a vestedinterest in the outcome for these

Bill Kepner has accepted a positionwith EP A in Las Vegas as a Re-search Ecologist. Bill will be workingwith EPA's Environmental Monitor-ing and Assessment Program(EMAP). Leaving his previous posi-tion as Environmental ContaminantSpecialist with the Fish and WildlifeService in Phoenix, he started hisnew job May 20th. Lauren and theirtwo children, will join him after tyingup loose ends in Arizona.

Bill and Lauren have been activein the environmental community fora long time. We will miss them be-cause of all they contributed tonatural resource management effortsand also because they are ourfriends. Bill has served as presidentof both the Arizona Chapter of TheWildlife Society (TWS) andAmerican Fisheries Society chapter.He was awarded the Doug MorrisonMemorial Award twice for his conser-vation work by the Arizona Chapterof The Wildlife Society. He was alsoa founding member of the ARC andhas worked on behalf of riparianresources through the ARC andother avenues.

Lauren served as a board mem-ber of the Arizona Chapter, TWSand is well known for her wildlifedrawings and scientific illustrations.She earned her M.S. at ASU studyingthe ecology of the Gila Monster andshe is presently working for theArizona Game and Fish Departmentin the Game Branch.

Lauren hopes to find employ-ment in Las Vegas in scientific il-lustration or computer graphics.

Bill's new address is:

William G. KepnerU.S. Environ. Protection AgencyEnviron. Monitoring Systems LabP .0. Box 93478Las Vegas, Nv 89193-3478(702) 798-2671 FfS 545-2671

MartyJakle, Chair

Marly Jakle

10

ARC BUSINESS

Audubon Chapter SponsoringMarshlands Conference

ARIZONA RIPARIAN COUNCIL

~e White Mountain Chapter of the Audubon Society..is sponsoring a three day conference to deal with is-

sues relating to the creation and maintenance ofwet-lands through the use of reclaimed water. Time andlocation of the conference will be announced later. Theconference will emphasize a practical, hands-on ap-proach to these issues. Several successful projects in theWhite Mountain area will be visited.

Those interested in presenting a paper for this con-ference must send a 250 word abstract to Mel Wilhelm,Lakeside Ranger District, R.R. 3, Box B-50, Lakeside,Arizona (602-368-5111 ), by July 27, 1990.

Registration for the conference will be limited tothe first 300 to apply. Send your registration and the $50fee to: City of Show Low, 200 W. Cooley Road, ShowLow, AZ 85901, Attn: Connie Kakavas (602-537-5724).In applying for the conference, include your name, ad-dress, phone, and affiliation along with the fee.Registrants will be sent a listing of available lodging.

Editor's Note

Officers

Andy Laurenzi, President. (602) 622-3861

Marty Jakle, Vice President. (602) 870-6764

Cindy Zisner, Secty{Treas (602) 965-2490

Committee Chairs

Carol Russell, Classification and Inventory ..(602) 392-4066

TannaThornburg, Education. (602) 542-1996

Mike Leonard, Land Use. (602) 445-1762

Andy Laurenzi, Policy. (602) 622-3861

Kniffy Hamilton, Protection/Enhancement. ..(602) 863-4464

Marty Jakle, Water Resources. (602) 870-6764

Newsletter

Ron Smith, Editor (602)445-6678

Statement of Purpose

The Arizona Riparian Council (ARC) was formed in 1986

as a result of increasing concern over the alarming rate of loss

of the State's riparian ecosystems. It is estimated that less

than 100/0 of the State's original riparian acreage remains in a

natural form. These habitats are considered Arizona's most

rare natural communities.

The purpose of ARC is to provide for the exchange of in-

formation on the status, protection, and management of

riparian systems in Arizona. The term "riparian" is intended to

include vegetation, habitats, or ecosystems that are as-

sociated with bodies of water or are dependent on the exist-

ence of perennial, intermittent, or ephemeral surface or

subsurface water drainage.

This newsletter is published quarterly to communicate cur

rent events, issues, problems, and progress that involves

Arizona's riparian systems. It also serves to inform you the

members of ARC about important items of Council business,

and as a forum for you to express your views or news about

riparian topics. To contribute articles or information for future

issues, please send all materials to:

Ron Smith, ARC Editor1712 Pine Woods Rd.

Prescott, AZ 86301

Any person or organization interested in the manage-

ment, protection, or scientific study of riparian systems, or

some related phase of riparian conservation is eligible for

membership. Dues are $5.00 annual; additional contributions

are gratefully accepted. For more information about ARC or to

join, write to:

Arizona Riparian CouncilCenter for Environmental StudiesArizona State UniversityTempe, AZ 85287-1201

You will notice that this issue contains alittle more material. That is because more of youare beginning to contribute.

This is appreciated. I no longer have access toas much printed material as when I worked in agovernment office. Thus, I need the eyes and earsof other ARC members in order to network tothe various sources of new information. Keepsending me information about riparian issues thatyou feel is timely.

In that regard, I could sure use some help inwriting copy and researching new information. Ifyou would like to be a part of the newsletter com-mittee, please call me or write. My address is inthe masthead.

Also, you will note the change in format. Thenewsletter is now printed offset, rather thancopied. We can now do a good job of printinghalf-tones. So, if you are submitting a story, sendalong an appropriate glossy print or otherartwork and we'll try to include it with your story.

The deadline for copy for the fall issue of thisnewsletter is August 15.

Ron Smith

11

.October 3-5Ecology and Planning: The Landscape DimensionA sym~ium on landscape ecology offered by UniversityExtension, U.C., DavisRed Lion Inn, Sacramento, CaliforniaCall (916) 757-8639 for information

.October 16-18Managing Wildlife in the southwest, a sym~iumIMoversity of ArizonaContact Paul Krausman (602)621-3845 orNorm Smith (602)621-1959 for details

.November 2.3Arizona Riparian Council Annual MeetingTucson; time, location, and topics to be announced later.

.November 14-16Multiresource Management of Ponderosa Pine ForestsLittle America, FlagstaffCall (602) 523-(1642 or 523.3031 for information

.August 15Verde River Corridor Project Steering Committee Meeting,7:00pm, Clarkdale Memorial Clubhouse, Clarkdale

.August 12-15CONSERV 90: a national conference on water-supply andconservation, Phoenix, ArizonaFor information: call (614) 761-1711

.September6-7Arizona Groundwater Management Act Symposium, HolidayInn, Casa GrandeSponsored by Water Resources Research Center, U. of ACall (602)621-7607 for information; registration is $30.

.September 20-22Municipal Marshlands: A conference on created wetlandsusing reclaimed water in the southwest, Show Low, AZCall for papers deadline: July 27, call (602) 368-5111 for infor-mationRegistration information: (602) 537-5724

.SeptemberArizona Hydrologic Association Conference

.September 29Verde River DayDead Horse Ranch State Park, Cottonwood

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~ Center for Environmental Studies~ Arizona Riparian Council

Tempe, Arlwna 85287-1201