Presented by
Bradley M. Hill, R.G. - Utilities Director City of Flagstaff, Arizona Plenary Session
1 27TH Symposium sponsored by the Arizona Hydrological Society
2nd partnership with AIPG which brings a national focus on Arizona
2 Honored, Humbled
Preparation, Anxiety
I know what I was feeling…. but what was I thinking?
- Dierks Bentley
3 Goals - Overview Geology, Hydrology & Water Policy of N. Az
- Past Local Water Supplies (water & rocks) - Present - What are the Issues? - Managing what we have - Land Use linked with Water Supply - Council adopted Water Policies guides Utilities - Voter approved Watershed Protection Project - Watershed health initiative - Future - Reclaimed water: City Manager’s Advisory Panel - Red Gap Ranch: groundwater
4 Founded 1882
Population – 67,500
Elevation – 7,000 feet
Flagstaff Surrounded by: Coconino National Forest Kaibab National Forest Prescott
Adjacent to: Grand Canyon N.P. Walnut Cyn N.M. Phoenix Wupatki N.M. Sunset Crater N.M.
Northern AZ University Tucson
5 PAST
Ca. 1890. Photo Credit: Northern Arizona University Cline Library [NAU.PH.676.8]
1900, photo Credit: Arizona Historical Society, Flagstaff Arizona Lumber & Timber Company
Historically Flagstaff was founded by the Railroad & Timber industries
6 Outgrew 1st Water Supply
Railroad needed more water and constructed Inner Basin pipeline 1890s
12 miles in length
1921, now Schultz Pass Road. Photo Credit: Arizona Historical Society, Flagstaff [AHS.0467.00075]
Initial ~300 customers paid $2/month
2 – 50 Million gallon non-covered storage tanks for entire winter
Inner Basin Well
Waterline Road PIPELINE OF THE PAST 3 pipelines: 1890s, 1930s, 1990s
Pre-Dates Coconino National Forest established in 1908
2.0 MGD Summer Peak Flow ~15% of demand
Inner Basin Well
Waterline Road Surface Water
Lake Mary WTP
Lower Lake Mary Dam I - 17 1905 Arizona Lumber & Timber Company Surface Water
Upper Lake Mary constructed in 1941 and increased height in 1951 16,300 AF storage
Lake Mary WTP 1905
I - 17 Lower Lake Mary Dam 1905 Lake Mary WTP original 1941
8 MGD
13 Groundwater Kaibab 2 primary aquifers Land surface 1,200 FT Coconino Water table Springs from C-Aquifer in deep Verde Valley (Sterling Spring, C - Aquifer upper Oak Creek) Supai J J j Springs from R-Aquifer in 2,500 FT Verde Valley deep (Page Springs, Sycamore Canyon, 2,500 feet deep Redwall R - Aquifer Fossil Creek, lower Oak Creek, etc)
Generalized Geologic Cross-section – Coconino Plateau U.S. Geological Survey
Paleographic Maps Mississippian – Redwall L.S.
Shallow seas
© Ron Blakey Professor Emeritus Northern Arizona University 15
Paleographic Maps Pennslyvanian – Supai Group
Mountain building
© Ron Blakey Professor Emeritus Northern Arizona University
16
Paleographic Maps Permian – Supai Group
interplay continental & shallow marine interbedded deposits
© Ron Blakey Professor Emeritus Northern Arizona University
17 Paleographic Maps Permian – Schnebly Hill Fm.
Blakey & Ranney, 2008 Grand Canyon Association
© Ron Blakey Professor Emeritus Northern Arizona University sand dunes & tidally reworked “desert swamps”
Pedregosa Sea
18
Paleographic Maps Permian – Coconino Sandstone.
Blakey & Ranney, 2008 Grand Canyon Association © Ron Blakey Professor Emeritus Northern Arizona University great eolian desert extensive sand dunes
19
Paleographic Maps Permian – Kaibab Limestone
Blakey & Ranney, 2008 Grand Canyon Association © Ron Blakey Professor Emeritus Northern Arizona University Ocean transgression
20
Paleographic Maps Triassic – Moenkopi Fm.
Extensive river systems, tidal flats Fluvial deposition
© Ron Blakey Professor Emeritus Northern Arizona University 21 1979 – College Notes 22 Groundwater
Started drilling wells in 1950s 21 of 28 wells are located outside City Limits
Typical well > 2,500 feet deep Depth to groundwater > 1,200 feet
Red Gap Well #6 Fort Tuthill Well 80% of Flagstaff’s water supply comes from the Coconino National Forest
note the tree density Upper Lake Mary
24 Flagstaff’s Water Supply
1949 - 2013
% of Surface Water v. Groundwater 100.00 90.00
80.00 Drought? 70.00 Surface Water Surface 60.00
50.00
40.00
30.00
20.00 Groundwater 2013 ~ 19% surface water 10.00 ~ 81% groundwater
0.00 1949 1954 1959 1964 1969 1974 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2013 3rd Source of Water Reclaimed Water Goals - Focus on Northern Arizona - Past Local Water Supplies (water & rocks) - Present - What are the Issues? - Managing what we have - Land Use linked with Water Supply - Council adopted Water Policies guides Utilities - Voter approved Watershed Protection Project - Watershed health initiative - Future - Red Gap Ranch: groundwater - Reclaimed water: City Manager’s Advisory Panel
* Conference session on Groundwater Management & Policy 27 Water Conservation & Reuse Program Recognition
Colorado River Basin Study M&I Conservation & Reuse Group
December 2003
November 17, 2009
June 13 2013 Total GPCD Community Commitment
Peaked at 186 in 1989 200 180 Decline of 160 140 41% 120 100 80 60 40 20 Low of 111 in 2013 0 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2013
Residential only (2008): Flagstaff 61 Scottsdale 249 Peoria 125 Payson 66 Chandler 142 Phoenix 123 Clarkdale 73 Mesa 130 Tucson 102
Average Water Use per Account Community Commitment
Residential and Non-Residential gallons per day
20,000 600
18,000
16,000 500
14,000
12,000 400 Number of Number Meters
10,000
8,000 300 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 City Council adopted Water Policies
Provide principles & guidelines for how Utilities can achieve the goals & objectives outlined by City Council & upper City Management
Build upon policies contained within Water Element of the General (Regional) Plan adopted by voters in May 2014
Blue Springs Goals of Flagstaff Water Policies
Preserve public’s trust in water, wastewater & stormwater systems Strategic long-term water management planning Sound financial management Demonstrate leadership in the stewardship of our limited natural resources emphasizing conservation & the protection of our natural environment…
Finished water pumps Lake Mary WTP Process of developing Policies
Reviewed other municipal policies in Arizona City of Peoria & Town of Oro Valley
Very transparent process
Started discussions in 2008 with citizens advisory Water Commission they approved in November 2012
City Council discussions & review of each policy after 10 meetings they approved in April 2014
33 Chapters
Finance
Water Resource Management
Reclaimed Water
Water Conservation
Stormwater
Infrastructure
Master Planning
Regional Cooperation & Leadership
Water Security
Hydrologic studies: groundwater flow model to evaluate long-term sustainability of city’s water supplies
Establish tracking of water use: annual average & peak day for each Subdivision Final Plat approved by City Council; existing zoning designation;
Commitment of water resources to future growth: links Council approved subdivision Plats with a 100-year water supply
ADWR’s Adequate Water Supply Program
~2038 new additional water supply
35
WATER POLICIES Infrastructure
Water System Capacity Allocation: for new development
Purpose: avoid exceeding flow capacity of pipeline & water production
Establishes a tracking & commitment of Peak Day / allocated on a 1st come: 1st served principle
Create Benchmarks when City reaches:
80% of committed Peak Day demands identify new infrastructure needs 85% of committed Peak Day demands begin construction of infrastructure 95% of committed Peak Day demands construction completed
36
Goals - Focus on Northern Arizona - Past Local Water Supplies (water & rocks) - Present - What are the Issues? - Managing what we have - Land Use linked with Water Supply - Council adopted Water Policies guides Utilities - Watershed Protection Project – Protect what we have - Watershed health initiative - Future - Reclaimed water: City Manager’s Advisory Panel - Red Gap Ranch: groundwater
* Session on Wildfire Impacts on Water Supplies 37 Northern Arizona’s “LANDSCAPE SCALE” FOREST FIRES
- setting records for size of 2002 – Rodeo-Chediski 2 fires - 732 mi Flagstaff $43M to suppress
2011 – Wallow 841 mi2 $79M to suppress
Forest research has estimated Arizona can withstand another 4 to 5 “landscape scale” fires then all Ponderosa Pine forest will be gone
Phoenix
38 San Francisco Peaks Schultz Fire – June 2010 ~ 24 miles2 burned
Governor Brewer declaredUpper StateLake ofMary Emergency - July 2010 President Obama declared Disaster Area - October 2010 Inner Basin Pipeline - 2010
40 1990s Purpose & Objective
Brief history of city water resources
Proactive water resource planning
What is sustainable? aging infrastructure water resources
1890s 1930s 1930s
1990s 1890s 1914
42 INNER BASIN PIPELINE RECONSTRUCTION
15% of Flagstaff’s Summertime water supply
Photo Credit: City Utilities Division
Photo Credit: Tom Alexander Photography Reconstruction cost: ~$4M
43 Completed in 2013 Waterline Road today
Each Crossing 50-year storm event
Rock gabbion baskets (each 3 feet tall)
Pipeline encased in concrete 44 Photo Credits: Tom Alexander
Slide Fire – Oak Creek Canyon
Slide Fire – May 2014 Initially heading towards Woody Mountain Well field
Slide Fire – Oak Creek Canyon
45 A Change in western landscape
1926, photo Credit: Arizona Historical Society, Flagstaff Cady Lumber Company
1860s • Settlers cattle & sheep grazed on the lush grasses and old growth timbers were logged…both leading to a change in plant diversity
Early 1900s • Forest conditions changed to more small diameter trees • Trees density/acre increased 40-60/acre to ~2,000/acre today • Fire suppression policies changed • Resulted in a change from natural low intensity ground fires burning grasses every 2-12 years to large-scale un-natural crown fires
46
Paradigm Shift of How to Think about our Forests A healthy and protected forest is vital component of our City’s water system
Forests to Faucets Fire to Floods Concept hatched in March 2012 Dry Lake Hills Two watersheds Rio de Flag One community
Two issues One solution ======
Rio de Flag: Focus is on preventing post-fire flooding - Dry Lake Hills Flagstaff City limits - State land west of City
Lake Mary: Focus is on protecting water quality and storage capacity of Upper Lake Mary the lake watershed
October 2012 Crown Fire Potential 6,351 acres over Dry Lake Hills 84% of area
Crown Fire & Flood Potential
FLOODING 500-year Downtown & Northern Az University 100-year
October 2012 Route 66 flooding – 2013 500-year storm event
Crown Fire Potential 6,351 acres over Dry Lake Hills 84% of area
Crown Fire & Flood Potential
FLOODING Downtown & NAU
Route 66 flooding – 2013 500-year storm event October 2012 Upper Lake Mary Watershed Mormon Mountain - Primary location of snowpack storage
Crown Fire Potential - 2,710 acres 1. Impacts from Flooding 91% of north side of mountain - Sediment & turbidity influx - Nitrates & total organic carbon
2. Upgrade Lake Mary WTP - New pre-sedimentation basins - Additional granular activated carbon
51 Risk Potential estimated $>500M from flooding into downtown* or $17M-$35M to lost water supply
1. Project area – 10,543 acres 2. Treatment areas that are NOT ECONOMICALLY viable (Four Forests Restoration Initiative (4-FRI) is planning to treat flat lying areas) 3. Treatments include mechanical & hand thinning, prescribed burning 4. Monitoring – Flowtography 5. Instituting permanent campfire ban in Dry Lake Hills
* detailed study of Schultz Fire post fire cost Ecological Restoration Institute – Northern Arizona University Voters approved $10M Bond in November 2012 by 74%
4-Way Signing Ceremony – April 22, 2013
• Under Secretary Dept. of Agriculture • Southwest Region U.S. Forest Service • State of AZ Land Commissioner State Forester • Coconino County • City of Flagstaff
from concept to voter approved public policy in just 9 months!! Goals - Focus on Northern Arizona - Past Local Water Supplies (water & rocks) - Present - What are the Issues? - Managing what we have - Land Use linked with Water Supply - Council adopted Water Policies guides Utilities - Watershed Protection Project – Protect what we have - Watershed health initiative - Future - Reclaimed water: City Manager’s Advisory Panel - Red Gap Ranch: groundwater
• Combine geology, hydrology & water policy • Session on Groundwater Flow modeling – Unstructured Grid MODFLOW 54
Use of Reclaimed Water into the Future and Compounds of Emerging Concern
A Creative Political & Technical Solution
55 HISTORY
1973 City started directly delivering reclaimed water to Continental Country Club Golf Course
2002 City signed an Agreement with the Arizona Snowbowl to directly deliver 552 AF/year of reclaimed water for snowmaking
Snowbowl Ski Resort HISTORY
2002/2006 City contracted with USGS & Northern Az University Sampling groundwater & reclaimed water for Compounds of Emerging Concern (CECs) and early studies on endocrine disruption on local Mosquitofish & frogs
2009 City and Az Game & Fish sign Agreement for minimum deliveries for sustaining riparian habitat
Today reclaimed water 20% of all water delivered within Flagstaff HISTORY
2010 Water Commission & City Council Meetings
Staff introduced “Recovered Reclaimed” to Council as a possible solution to Hopi / Navajo objection to snowmaking
~700 people attend each meeting
Good & Bad: drew attention to what City has been doing for 22+ years water management v. water quality
HISTORY
2011 Hopi Tribe files Notice of Claim against City for the sale of reclaimed water to Snowbowl for snowmaking
2010,2011 & 2014 City sampled drinking water distribution & reclaimed water system for CECs
2011 City hosted Reclaimed Water Forum (~400 attendance) Present national & international issues; research findings; regulatory framework and Utilities industry best practices
Shane Synder, Ph.D. University of Arizona Mike Fulton, ADEQ Chuck Graph, R.G., ADEQ Guy Carpenter, P.E., Carollo Engineers Brad Hill, R.G., City of Flagstaff
HISTORY
2012 In August a report was released by Virginia Tech University found Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the City’s reclaimed system
HISTORY
2012 In December the Arizona Snowbowl started making snow
City Needed Expert Advice
The topic of reclaimed water use continued to be amplified in the community
City Council became bombarded with citizens questions regarding the safety of using reclaimed water for irrigation, recharge or snowmaking
September 2012, City Manager requested staff to develop a panel of experts - evaluation of the human health impacts from the local use of reclaimed water
January 2013 Same time ADEQ was creating their Panel of Emerging Contaminants
Flagstaff City Manager’s Advisory Panel
63 PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES
What does the detection of Compounds of Emerging Concern (CECs) in some parts of the City of Flagstaff’s Drinking and Reclaimed Water Distribution Systems mean for possible human health effects beyond what already exists?
PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES
Identify what steps are necessary for understanding the human health effects of CECs in raw, drinking and reclaimed water
Political Dialogue
Detection ??? Human Health Impact
Determine what specifically to study?
Panel met 4 times since January 2013 INTERIM REPORT July 16, 2013
Findings/Advice – SUMMARY Framework: CECs into 3 categories: 1. Pharmaceuticals, 2. Endocrine Disrupters 3. Antibiotic Resistance Genes/Bacteria
Pharmaceuticals & Endocrine Disruptors being studied significantly around world
While documented environmental impacts of CECs – none to human health
Little to no data exists on Antibiotic Resistant Genes/Bacteria on public health
Opportunity for research collaboration Research Subgroup of Advisory Panel tasked with outlining a cutting edge epidemiological and microbial study focusing on antibiotic resistance
Identify what, if any Antibiotic Resistance Bacteria (ARBs): a. are found leaving the treatment plants
b. are found at various end points in Flagstaff’s distribution system
c. are be found in raw and potable City water
d. are most prevalent (soil, raw meat, Flagstaff Medical Center, etc)
Identify what treatments kill or remove ARBs in water UPDATE August 2014
• Master’s Student @ NAU testing for ARBs in our WWTP
• 2 Grant Proposals have been funded where the City is a partner:
A. National Science Foundation ($330K): Relative Abundance & Diversity of Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Pathogens in Reclaimed Water versus potable water systems (Virginia Tech, Univ of Az & TGen) City has begun sampling reclaimed & potable water systems in July
B. Community Pathogen Profiling: gene sequencing associated with natural, potable and recycled water (TGen, NAU, N. Az Healthcare, etc)
68 City purchased Red Gap Ranch water supply in 2005 WHY - Red Gap Ranch?
Navajo Nation BNSF City of Flagstaff Railroad
National Park Service Red Gap Ranch
U.S. Forest Service Hopi Hart Ranch
West: Groundwater Transportation Act East: National Park Service & U.S. Forest Service South & North: U.S. Forest Service Far East: Private Lands & Aquifer USGS Regional Model
Flagstaff Focus Model
Flagstaff Focus Model Model Layer 1 – Coconino Sandstone Model Layer 2 – Supai Group Model Layer 3 – Redwall Limestone City of Flagstaff A’ A
10000 Rio de Flag -point Red Gap Ranch B’ - B’ Section Alternate
Previous model Section mid WL
Oak Creek Oak Creek Fault shown in lt. blue IntersectB 7500 A(21-6)23aad Winslow A(21-7)19aca A(21-7)19aca A(21-5)11cbc A(21-5)11cbc
A(21-7)25bbd A(21-7)25bbd
A(21-7)26abb A(21-7)26abb A(21-8)26dab A(21-8)26dab
? Walnut Canyon
? Canyon Youngs PadreCanyon Little Colorado River Colorado Little A(20-11)7add A(21-11)31aab A(21-11)31aab A(20-11)12baa A(20-11)12baa
? Canyon Diablo
? ? A(20-12)13bcc A(20-13)19aca A(20-13)19aca McDonalds Canyon A(18-18)27aab A(18-18)27aab A(20-13)22cdb A(20-13)22cdb TuckerFlat Wash A(18-17)25bdd A(18-17)25bdd A(19-16)30ddb A(19-16)30ddb Jacks Canyon 5000 Chevelon Canyon ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? LAYER 1 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 2500 U D ? ) ) D U D U D U ? LAYER 2 D U U D U D U D D U U D U D D U ? ? ? ? amsl ?
U D 0 LAYER 3 Elevation (ft.
-2500 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Distance (miles) Explanation
Southwest Ground-water GEOLOGIC CROSS-SECTION A-A’ (WEST) Figure Consultants, Inc. Red Gap Ranch, Coconino County, Arizona 1 RED GAP RANCH
Drilled 13 “shallow” water supply wells Depths ~400 to 700 feet Coconino Sandstone Pump tested at ~750 GPM
73 - Groundwater computer modeling: 16,500 AF/year - Secured Water Rights with Navajo Nation: 8,000 AF/year - Pipeline alignment along Interstate 40 - Working with ADOT for permission McMillan Bank & Hotel- 1900
Summary
• Highlight Geology, Hydrology and Water Policy of northern Arizona
• Provide a good primer & kick off to the Symposium
Early Flagstaff
75 Honored, Humbled
I know what I was feeling…. but what was I thinking?
- Brad Hill Water buffalo – northern Arizonicus
76 THANK YOU for the opportunity
Flagstaff’s Water & Rocks Past, present & future
77