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PRESCOTT ACTIVE MANAGEMENT AREA Files

Geologic Framework of Aquifer Units and Ground-Water Flowpaths, Verde River Headwaters, North-Central Arizona

Abstract: This study combines the results of geophysical, geologic, and geochemical investigations to provide a hydrogeologic framework of major aquifer units, identify ground-water flowpaths, and determine source(s) of base flow to the upper Verde River. This introductory chapter provides an overview of previous studies, predevelopment conditions, present surface-water and ground-water conditions, and a conceptual water budget of the hydrologic system. In subsequent chapters, this conceptual model will be evaluated and refined with respect to the results of each successive investigation. First, a compilation of mapping and field verification of the surficial geology, reinterpretation of driller’s logs, and contour mapping of alluvial thicknesses and buried volcanic rocks provide new three-dimensional geologic information. Second, a suite of geophysical techniques—including aeromagnetic and gravity surveys and inverse modeling approaches—was used to interpret the deeper subsurface geology. Third, geologic, geo- physical, and hydrological data were integrated to define basin boundaries, describe aquifer units in the basin-fill aquifers of Big and Little Chino valleys and the regional carbonate aquifer north of the upper Verde River, and develop a hydrogeologic framework. Water-level gradients were used to infer outlet flowpaths from the basin-fill aquifers through the carbonate aquifer toward the upper Verde River. Fourth, geochemical investigations employing analyses of dissolved major and trace elements and isotopes of δD, δ18O, 3H, 13C, and 14C were used to characterize major aquifers, identify recharge areas, and determine evolution of water chemistry along ground-water flowpaths. Fifth, results of a tracer-dilution study and synoptic sampling identify locations of major spring inflows discharging to the upper Verde River, measure base-flow contributions, which were used to calculate the relative contributions from each aquifer to upper Verde River springs using inverse geo- chemical modeling. In the final chapter, synthesis of multiple lines of evidence improve understanding of the relationships between the three aquifers, regional ground-water flowpaths, and the proportion of flow from each aquifer to the upper Verde River. Collectively, data from many varied and indepen-dent sources improves confidence in the conceptual model of the hydrogeologic system.

This file consists of 7 chapters and 246 pages totaling 135 mb. It can be downloaded here. 

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Groundwater Flow Modeling - PrAMA

Presentation by Daniel Timmons to the Safe Yield Workgroup of the Coalition, August 13 2008, concerning the groundwater model for the Prescott AMA. Considers the liklihood of achieving safe yield with varying growth, conservation, and augmentation scenarios. View Document.

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Investigation of the Geology and Hydrology of the Upper and Middle Verde River Watershed of Central Arizona: Summary Report

In 1999, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), initiated a regional investigation of the hydrogeology of the upper and middle Verde River watershed. The project is part of the Rural Watershed Initiative (RWI), a program established by the State of Arizona and managed by the ADWR that addresses water supply issues in rural areas while encouraging participation from stakeholder groups in affected communities. The USGS is performing similar RWI investigations on the Colorado Plateau to the north and in the Mogollon Highlands to the east of the Verde River study area (Parker and Flynn, 2000). The objectives of the RWI investigations are to develop: (1) a single database containing all hydrogeologic data available for the combined areas, (2) an understanding of the geologic units and structures in each area with a focus on how geology influences the storage and movement of ground water, (3) a conceptual model that describes where and how much water enters, flows through, and exits the hydrogeologic system, and (4) a numerical ground-water flow model that can be used to improve understanding of the hydrogeologic system and to test
test the effects of various scenarios of water-resources development. In 2001, Yavapai County became an additional cooperator in the upper and middle Verde River RWI investigation. View Document.

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Low Water Use Plant List for Prescott AMA

ADWR generated a list of low water use plants suitable for the Prescott AMA. 12 pages. View Document.

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New House New Paradigm: A Model for How to Plan, Build, and Live Water-Smart

The Interior West is simultaneously the driest and fastest growing region of the United States. With an expected influx of hundreds of thousands of new residents to this region in the coming decades, it is imperative that a new style of development be implemented now — one that recognizes and embraces the distinct lack of water in this region. This report shows what this new style of development can look like and how it can succeed through the integration of smart planning, green building practices, and programs aimed at encouraging residents to live a water- smart lifestyle.
In the "New House, New Paradigm" report, Western Resource Advocates (WRA) describes the nexus between land use and water demands and offers a model for how water-smart growth can meet both the housing needs of our new residents and preserve our natural rivers and water- sheds. The model addresses water conservation and efficiency in the planning, building, and living phases of new residential development. WRA highlights existing water-smart developments throughout the region as case studies to demonstrate the feasibility of this new growth style and to highlight water conservation successes. View Document.

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Prescott AMA Groundwater Model Update: 2006

Technical document by Daniel Timmons updating the PrAMA groundwater model, 2006. View Document.

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Prescott AMA Groundwater Model Update: 2006

Technical document by Daniel Timmons updating the PrAMA groundwater model, 2006. View Document.

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Prescott AMA Groundwater Model, 2002

Technical document by Keith Nelson updating the PrAMA groundwater model, 2002. View Document.

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Prescott AMA is Mining Water: 1999 newspaper report

Article from the Prescott Courier, Jan 16, 1999, reporting that the Prescott AMA is mining groundwater. View Document.

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Prescott Water Management Policy 2005-2010

Official water management policy for Prescott. View Document.

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Prescott Water Management Policy 2018

2018 official water management policy for Prescott. View Document.

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Prescott Water Resources and Utilities Enterprise Report

Report from the 2011 General Plan Committee includes description of Big Chino Water Ranch. 50 pages. View Document.

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Prescott Water Resources: Introduction

Introductory document prepared by Prescott summarizing local water resources and management. View Document.

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Regional Groundwater-Flow Model of the Redwall-Muav, Coconino, and Alluvial Basin Aquifer Systems of Northern and Central Arizona (NARGFM)

Results of a major effort by USGS: a numerical flow model of the groundwater flow system in the primary aquifers in northern Arizona was developed to simulate interactions between the aquifers, perennial streams, and springs for predevelopment and transient conditions during 1910 through 2005. Simulated aquifers include the Redwall-Muav, Coconino, and basin-fill aquifers. Perennial stream reaches and springs that derive base flow from the aquifers were simulated, including the Colorado River, Little Colorado River, Salt River, Verde River, and perennial reaches of tributary streams. Simulated major springs include Blue Spring, Del Rio Springs, Havasu Springs, Verde River headwater springs, several springs that discharge adjacent to major Verde River tributaries, and many springs that discharge to the Colorado River. View Document.

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Regional Water Conservation Program Development and Recommended Implementation Plan

In 2007, the Upper Verde Watershed Protection Coalition Board identified the development of a regional water conservation plan to improve water use efficiency within the region as a high priority for the Coalition.
This report summarizes the results of Sub Tasks 1 and 2 of the Water Conservation Program Development work task. The objectives of Tasks 1 and 2 were to: 1) identify and evaluate existing water conservation efforts currently underway within the Coalition area, 2) develop water use metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts, and 3) analyze the results of the regional water conservation opinion survey conducted in 2007 by the Coalition members. These chapters provide the background analysis necessary for development of the regional water conservation program analysis and recommendations for program implementation found in Chapters 5 through 9. Report by Larson Associates. View Document.

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Report on options for water management strategies

Report by the WAC on options for water management. View Document.

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Safe Yield in Chino Valley

Presentation describing water resources in the Prescott AMA, Chino Valley's water resources, the importance of conservation, and the challenges to achieving safe yield. View Document.

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Safe Yield Workgroup Final Report: UVRWPC

In the spring of 2008, the Upper Verde River Watershed Protection Coalition Board appointed a Safe Yield Workgroup to develop a plan for the Prescott Active Management Area to reach safe yield by 2025. The Coalition Board instructed the Safe Yield Workgroup to prepare a report describing strategies for achieving safe yield in the Prescott Active Management Area. View Document.

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Sustainable Water Management: Guidelines.

Sonoran Institute report detailing the importance of riparian habitat, the impacts of groundwater mining, and offering a framework for sustainable water management. Case studies of the upper San Pedro River, the upper Santa Cruz River, and the upper Verde River. 52 pages. View Document.

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Third Management Plan – Prescott AMA

Lengthy, technical document by ADWR describing the management plan for the Prescott AMA for 2000-2010. 12 chapters. Compressed file. View Document.

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Verde Watershed

View on screen - a map of the Verde Watershed, courtesy of Center for Biological Diversity.

 

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Water Commitments in the PrAMA and implications for the upper Verde and upper Agua Fria Rivers

The cities of Prescott, Prescott Valley, and the town of Chino Valley, commonly referred to as the Tri-Cities, currently rely almost exclusively on ground water from the Prescott Active Management Area (Prescott AMA) for their domestic water supply (fig.1). The Prescott AMA is also a source of water for agricultural use. At the present time, the AMA is being seriously over-pumped and has been for a number of years. Over-pumping has caused ground-water levels to continually decline in most of the Prescott AMA and has led to a continuing decline in the amount of water that naturally discharges from it to Del Rio Springs (water that once discharged to the upper Verde River), to the ground-water system of Big Chino Valley (which, in turn, discharges to the upper Verde River) and to the upper Agua Fria River. Ultimately, the amount of ground water that can be withdrawn from the Prescott AMA must be seriously reduced in order to be able to continue to withdraw water from it on a long-term continuing basis. Otherwise, someday, there will be no water.
By Ed Wolfe and William Meyer. View Document.

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Watershed Restoration and Recharge Policy Initiative

The Coalition proposes to work with other land and water resource stakeholders and large-scale private landowners to collaboratively increase water supplies through a concerted watershed restoration and aquifer recharge effort within the Watershed Area. View Document.

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Well Hydrographs for the Prescott AMA

Annotated hydrographs throughout the Prescott AMA showing the change in water levels, by Doug McMillan. View Document.

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What is best plan for managing non-Active Management Areas?

When the state's urban dwellers think of rural water resources – if they think of them at all – they most likely think of recreational opportunities, like fishing, boating and camping. (See above.) Residents of rural areas of the state, however, are confronting a wide range of water issues, with ensuring sufficient supplies the most critical. Whatever rural water management strategy is adopted must reflect the physical, social and cultural characteristics unique to the non-urban regions of Arizona. Prepared by the U of A WRRC. View Document.

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Why Big Chino Pumping Threatens the Verde

An often-repeated view is that the extraction of approximately 8,700 acre-feet per year (af/y) of ground water by Prescott and Prescott Valley from the Big Chino Water Ranch will have little if any effect on the springs that feed the upper Verde River. This optimistic view gained support from the report of Prescott's hydrologic consultants, who suggested that ground water from the Big Chino Valley may supply little if any of the ground water that feeds these upper Verde River springs.
In contrast, two recent reports by the U.S. Geological Survey—one by Laurie Wirt and colleagues, the other by Kyle Blasch and colleagues—show that the vast majority, if not all, of the ground water that enters the upper Verde River from these springs—an average of 17,900 af/y over the 14 years from 1990 through 2003—comes from aquifers in the Big and Little Chino watersheds, with most of it (somewhere between 14,300 af/y and 15,400 af/y) coming from the Big Chino watershed, including Williamson Valley. Further, these reports show that perennial (continuous) flow (also known as base flow) in the upper 22 miles of the river is dependent upon the ground water that issues from these springs. Should the springs go dry, the Verde River above Perkinsville will be dry or nearly so except at times of storms or snowmelt. In addition, the amount of perennial flow that enters the Verde Valley above Clarkdale will be reduced by about 30 percent. By Bill Meyer and Ed Wolfe, 2007. View Document.

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Yavapai County Long-term Development Scenarios

This report documents the data sources, assumptions and methodology used to develop a future-water-use scenario for application in the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Northern Arizona Regional Groundwater Flow Model (NARGFM). The work was performed for the Yavapai County Water Advisory Committee (WAC) by H3J Consulting in consultation with the Technical Administrative Committee (TAC) of the WAC. View Document.

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