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ARIZONA
Arizona's nonpoint source program is partnership oriented. It seeks to find
entities that are able and willing to work toward nonpoint source management
goals and foster cooperation to get the job done. The Chino Winds Project is an
example of the strides that can be made when diverse parties develop and carry
out a coordinated plan to improve water quality.
Partnership Develops Multiple Pasture Grazing System
Grazing in arid Arizona, much like in the rest of the Southwest, tends to
concentrate around water sources. This leads to overgrazing damage around
rivers, streams, and lakes. As a result, vast amounts of grazable lands are
untouched and unused. Damage to watersheds includes erosion, sediment, and
nutrient loading into streams that seriously affects water quality. Another
problem in Arizona is the multiple or checkerboard pattern of land ownership,
made up of an alternating mixture of publicly and privately owned lands. Add to
this the multiple jurisdictions and responsibilities of a host of federal,
state, local, and private agencies and interests, and you have what could be
deadlock in planning and using innovative technology to remedy the
situation.
The Chino Winds Demonstration Project, located on the Yavapai Ranch 26
miles south of Seligman, is proving that these obstacles are far from
insurmountable. Through the cooperation of 11 agencies and the private owner,
the state currently has a project to test a holistic grazing system on multiple
ownership lands to improve water quality. The project also evaluates
alternative ways to measure watershed conditions and quality in arid regions
that lack year-round water flows.
The project sets up a system of rotational grazing on a 110,000-acre ranch
with a checkerboard of public and private lands. Deferred rotational grazing
divides the land into numerous fenced paddocks where cattle graze - intensely
for short periods of time--from 2 to 30 days-- before being moved on to another
paddock. The grazed area is then allowed to regenerate for an entire growing
season. This system requires a fencing network across the entire land and a
distribution system to supply water to each pasture. The distribution of water
promotes more uniform rangeland use and, accompanied by the traditional
management systems, reduces the extremes of over and under use.
Phase I of the project started in FY 1990 and was completed in September
1993. A coordinated resource management plan was developed over 18 months by
numerous groups with diverse and vested interests. Agencies - responsible for
developing the plan included the U.S. Forest Service, Arizona State Land
Department, SCS, and Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Also included
were the University of Arizona School of Renewable and Natural Resources,
Cooperative Extension, Chino Winds Natural Resource Conservation District, and
the Arizona Department of Game and Fish.
Phase I, funded by a $90,000 section 319 grant, included installing
fencing, pipelines, and a water distribution system for both livestock and
wildlife. In-kind services such as labor, equipment, and computer mapping were
provided by state, local, and private sources. The university provided
watershed monitoring, and conservation groups and private citizens are
converting existing fencing to fencing that does not restrict the movement of
wildlife. A Phase II, $87,000 section 319 grant has been approved.
Another component of the project is to develop a surrogate system to
measure water quality impacts. Because the flow of surface water on Arizona
rangelands is intermittent, changes in water quality are difficult to
determine. Therefore, measurable improvements from BMPs may be impossible to
document. This project correlates coverage vegetation to sediment discharges
and extrapolates water quality information by measuring the amount and
biodiversity of the vegetation.
The project is being monitored during the implementation phase to ensure
that BMPs are properly installed. Baseline data was collected on initial
vegetation and frequency of plant species. A survey was conducted to -
determine public attitudes and perceptions of grazing management efforts to
improve water quality. Although the complete results of the demonstration may
not be seen for 10 years, this project provides an important opportunity to
demonstrate the effectiveness of BMPs on arid lands.
Public Education Tackles Tourist Burden
Quartzsite is a small desert community of about 1,900 residents, mostly
retired. Its economy is supported by a January through February gem show, which
each year attracts as many as a million visitors, many of whom are campers.
This seasonal influx has caused a great burden on the upper groundwater
aquifer, compounding an existing problem of improperly maintained septic
systems. A study to determine the effects of this seasonal burgeoning on
groundwater quality, begun in August 1987 by the Arizona Department of
Environmental Quality (ADEQ), found high levels of nitrates in the groundwater
of the shallow aquifer. In March 1991, an exhaustive study found that the
contamination was caused by illegal dumping of waste and septage from
recreational vehicles. This led to an agreement between the state agency and
the town to conduct the Quartzsite Educational and Technical Transfer
Program.
The program was designed to help the community develop a strategy for
educating its population about the reason the aquifer was contaminated, point
out the resulting illness from high nitrate levels in the drinking water, and
develop a solution to the problem. A 319 grant supplied the $32,400 used to
fund the program in 1991 and 1992.
The program created an advisory council to oversee activities, collect and
evaluate existing groundwater data, and establish a public information campaign
that includes brochures, guest speakers, and presentations at local fairs and
public meetings. The effectiveness of the public education program was measured
through two surveys--one taken three months into the program and the second,
one month before its end. The findings showed a 245 percent increase in public
meeting attendance and a 185 percent increase in public knowledge about the
problems of high nitrate levels. As a result, 95 percent of the community
supported the concept of a wastewater treatment facility.
After discussing a number of alternatives at public meetings, the community
decided to address the problem by building a regional wastewater treatment
system. It will include creating several recreational vehicle dump - stations
around the community. This solution will allow ADEQ to lift a ban on further
development, in effect for more than three years, enabling the community to
benefit from housing and commercial development.
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