San Simon Watershed Assessment and Restoration Plan

Bill Brandau, Rod Wittler, Barron Orr

Abstract 2. Would additional grade control structures hasten the restoration of the river and tributary This paper describes a partnership of the Bureau of channels, and aid in the recovery of the Land Management (BLM), the Bureau of Reclamation watershed? (Reclamation), the University of Arizona, and the 3. How does the Resources Inventory and Arizona Department of Water Resources (DWR). The Assessment of the uplands and the San Simon partnership is assessing and restoring the San Simon channel depend upon the grade control watershed, a sub-basin in the Upper Gila River structures? Watershed. EPA selected that watershed as one of 12 Clean Water Action Plan Showcase Watersheds. Keywords: watershed, restoration, incision, fluvial geomorphology, resource inventory The San Simon River incised early in the 20th century. Primary land uses within the San Simon Watershed Introduction include recreation, a designated OHV use area, farming, and livestock grazing. BLM installed grade In 2001, the BLM Safford Field Office, in conjunction control structures on the San Simon River and with the San Carlos/Safford/Duncan Watershed Group tributaries, beginning in the 1930s. The purpose of the (SSD), began a four year community-based watershed grade control was to halt channel incision and evaluation and plan for the San Simon River and degradation of the watershed land resources. In all, watershed. Figure 1 shows the location of the San there are 19 major detention dams, several dikes, and Simon watershed in southeastern Arizona. There are earth structures. They all require assessment to some anecdotal signs of resource improvement on the determine effectiveness and condition for San Simon. However, there is uncertainty surrounding repair/maintenance. The Safford Field Office proposes the rate of improvement. The purpose of this planning to complete an assessment of the San Simon River effort is to determine the overall effectiveness of the watershed as a prerequisite to a community-based restoration work done on the San Simon over the past planning effort setting the future direction and 70 plus years, and where to focus future restoration management of the watershed. efforts.

The assessment will answer three questions: Preliminary plans are for the Bureau of Reclamation to 1. Are the existing grade control structures conduct a fluvial geomorphology study of the San effective? Simon River corridor. This study will determine if the a) Are the structures hydraulically and San Simon has achieved a new dynamic equilibrium. geomorphically effective? The study will also focus on causation in areas that b) Is maintenance of the existing structures continue to erode. The fluvial geomorphology study is cost-effective? an extension of a larger effort on the Upper Gila Watershed by Reclamation and the SSD. The SSD, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, is Brandau is Assistant Field Manager, Bureau of Land currently conducting a fluvial geomorphology study of Management, Safford Field Office, Safford, AZ 85546. the main stem of the Gila River, to which the San E-mail: [email protected]. Wittler is a Hydraulic Simon is a major tributary. Engineer, Bureau of Reclamation, Technical Service Center, Denver, CO 80225. Orr is Assistant Professor and Geospatial Extension Specialist, Office of Arid Lands Studies, Arizona Remote Sensing Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721. 680 Figure 1. Location map of San Simon Creek (River).

Upon completion of the initial resource evaluation, Simon watershed is one of the top ten watersheds in the partners will develop a community-based plan need of restoration. that will present recommendations for future restoration actions on the San Simon. Actions could The BLM Safford Field Office (SFO) administers be: to do no more work, maintenance of existing about 750,000 acres in the watershed. Primary land structure, abandonment of some existing structures, uses within the San Simon Watershed include; construction of additional structures(which have Recreation, a Designated Off-Highway-Vehicle use been proposed in previous plans, but not area, farming and livestock grazing. The primary constructed), increase effort on small scale erosion objective of the management is to improve water control work on the upper watershed. quality by decreasing San Simon watershed silt load and salt load into the Gila River. There is a present Project Description need to evaluate past restoration work, to determine its effectiveness, and to evaluate resource conditions The Upper Gila River Watershed in Arizona is one of the San Simon. A detailed resource inventory and of the most important watersheds in the nation. The assessment will form the basis of future planning Environmental Protection Agency identified the efforts. watershed as one of 12 showcase watersheds under the Clean Water Action Plan. The San Simon is a The San Simon River was incised early in the 20th sub-watershed, part of the Upper Gila River century. In an attempt to stop this incision, slow Watershed. The San Carlos/Safford/Duncan sediment delivery, and restore the river channel, Watershed Group (SSD) identifies the San Simon as BLM installed grade control structures on the San an important component of the causative factors on Simon River and its tributaries. This was a multi the mainstem Gila River below Solomon, Arizona. million-dollar effort. The structures are numerous, In FY 2001, the BLM determined that the San including at least 19 major detention dams, several 681 dikes, and several earth structures, totaling miles in funding the aerial photography and ground control, length. With age, these now require assessment to as well as the orthophotographs. determine effectiveness and condition of the Topography – Detailed Digital Terrain Model structure for repair/maintenance. Determining the (DTM) will be constructed in the state plane effectiveness of the watershed restoration efforts in coordinate system. the past 70 years on the San Simon is critical to any future planning effort. The Safford Field Office Catalog of Historical Changes – Collect Historical proposes to complete an entire assessment of the San Photographs & Historical Information – Simon River watershed as a prerequisite to a Reclamation will collect, review, and document community-based planning effort the would set the historical information about the San Simon River. direction for management of the watershed in the This information includes historical aerial future. The three phases of the assessment are photographs, maps, photography, and written detailed in the following sections. accounts. Reclamation will then use this information to develop a history of channel changes. Phase I: Geomorphic and engineering analysis of the San Simon River and Digitize 1935 Plane Table Survey – BLM will tributaries provide to Reclamation either the original or a copy of the 1935 Plane Table Survey now in the There are four primary tasks necessary to complete possession of BLM. Reclamation will digitize the Phase I of the assessment. The following list survey map for comparison of the 1935 topography summarizes the major tasks: to the 2001 DTM. • Task 1 – Mapping • Task 2 – Catalog of Historical Changes Volumetric Comparison 1935 to 2001 – • Task 3 – Geomorphic and Engineering Reclamation will compare the 1935 plane table Analysis of Channel survey of the San Simon River to the 2001 • Task 4 – Channel Assessment Including topographic map. Using computer based CAD tools, Structures and Predictive Qualitative Model Reclamation will calculate changes in the volumes of material along the river channel compared to The purpose of the four primary tasks is to answer 1935. This calculation provides a quantitative these fundamental questions: measure of channel change over this 66-year period. 1. Are the existing grade control structures Areas of volume loss and gain will be depicted on effective? the map along with the corresponding amounts. a) Are the structures hydraulically and geomorphically effective? Develop History of Channel Changes – Reclamation b) Based upon their hydraulic and will use the catalog of historical photographs and geomorphic effectiveness, is historical changes to chronicle the changes in the maintenance of the existing structures San Simon River channel. Reclamation will cost effective? document progression of the historical channel 2. Based upon the status and effectiveness of changes of the San Simon River based on aerial the existing structures, would additional photography, other historical information, and structures hasten the restoration of the river comparison of the 1935 and 2001 topography. The and tributary channels and aid in the history of the channel changes facilitates comparison recovery of the watershed? of historical channel change, watershed changes, and 3. What are the critical hydraulic, geomorphic, land use. range, and resource considerations for future management decisions on the San Simon Compare, Analyze, and Summarize – Reclamation River and major tributaries. will compare, analyze, and summarize the results of the volumetric analysis and the history of channel Methods changes. Reclamation will develop a model of historical channel change. Orthophotography – Orthophotographs are scheduled to be completed as part of an existing Map Channel Characteristics – Reclamation will project with existing funds. BLM and ADWR are divide the San Simon River into mapable units based on physical characteristics of the channel.

682 Reclamation will then map the river using these in the future. The results will also identify any units, forming the basis for future channel current grade control that is either ineffective or not management. serving its intended purpose. This model will form the basis for future management decisions for the Analysis of Geologic Controls on Channel Erosion – San Simon River and major tributaries. The underlying geology controls the incision of the San Simon River and its key tributaries. The extent Phase II: Resources inventory and of key geologic units may control future incision. assessment of the uplands and the San The identification of these natural controls and their Simon channel location will play a vital role in the development of a predictive model of channel change. In particular, In addition to the Geomorphic and Engineering these controls and their locations may inform Analysis, the SFO feels there is additional management decisions of where to place or not place information needed to complete the watershed additional grade control in the system if additional assessment. They include: grade control is necessary and potentially effective. • Inventory of existing grade control structures, dikes, and dams Quantification of Channel Characteristics – • Road inventory Reclamation will measure the physical (hydraulic, • Retaking historic photos bank geometry, geomorphic) characteristics of key • Ecological site inventory channel and tributary reaches. These measurements • Complete cultural resource inventory are important for the monitoring of future channel • Complete stream and riparian inventory changes resulting from management actions, the • Complete a threatened and endangered development of a predictive model of channel species habitat inventory change (Task 4), and for use in the stable channel • Avian corridor inventory and other wildlife analysis. inventories

• Complete standards and guidelines Hydraulic Analysis of Grade Control Structures – evaluation and rangeland monitoring Reclamation will evaluate individual grade control structures for their hydraulic and geomorphic • Complete paleontology inventory effectiveness. The evaluation includes determining • Develop a GIS database the hydraulic range of influence upstream and downstream from the grade control structure, and an First year estimate channel change since installation of the • Inventory of Existing Grade Control grade control. Structures, Dikes and Dams. Beginning in 1930 the CCC, Soil Erosion Service, SCS, BLM Stable Channel Analysis – This cross-section based and private parties began construction a variety analysis of channel stability balances sediment of grade control structures in the San Simon transport, channel roughness, and water discharge. It Watershed. There has never been a complete will provide an indication of channel stability inventory of these structures. relative to slope, width, and depth. This will help • Road Inventory. Roads are suspected to be a determine the effectiveness of existing and potential major contributing factor to sediment loading future grade control. In particular, Reclamation directly into the San Simon Channel, and hypothesizes that the stable channel analysis will indirectly into the Gila River. Together these indicate if there are reaches where the channel is too water bodies support 3 T&E fish species and one steep, thus requiring additional grade control, and T&E bird species. Roads also contribute to how the channel has approached stability in areas surface erosion factors which contribute to the upstream of existing grade control structures. deterioration of numerous cultural resources. • Orthophotography. Orthophotographs are part Channel Assessment including Structures and of an existing project with existing funds. BLM Predictive Qualitative Model – Reclamation will and ADWR are funding the aerial photography develop a coherent qualitative model of potential and ground control, as well as the future San Simon River channel change. The model orthophotographs. will include existing grade control and identify locations to effectively place grade control structures

683 Second year health standards. This is part of a coordinated • Repeat Historical Photography. There are effort with the University of Arizona and the several hundred historical photo of the San Coronado National Forest. Simon Valley dating from 1860-1970. These • Complete Paleontology Inventory. photographs provide a valuable insight to the Paleontological resources have been found at the change on the San Simon. Selected scenes 3,000-foot elevation level. Excavations are on would be re-photographed. going and efforts have been coordinated with the • Ecological Site Inventory. This effort is in Mesa Museum. These resources have included direct support of Arizona Standards for glyptodons, tortoises, and bears. These resources Rangeland Health. It provides an inventory of may be extensive, and there is a need to do a ecological sites based on soil and vegetation. complete inventory. This inventory will serve all resource disciplines • Develop a GIS Database by providing ecological status for DPC • Project Coordinator. Oversees administration objectives. This inventory is being developed for of all resource inventory contracts throughout GIS format and will fulfill BLM Geospatial the assessment and planning efforts for the San Metadata standards. This is part of a coordinated Simon Watershed. The Contract Administrator effort with the Coronado National forest and the would assures product review is performed by University of Arizona. all BLM and Reclamation specialists, assure • Complete Cultural Resource Inventory. A quality control, and tracks scope of work, time Class II cultural resource inventory would be tables and budget. completed covering the San Simon Valley. • University of Arizona - Office of Arid Land Sample units would be selected along the eroded Studies. An academic course began in the fall of San Simon channel and major tributaries to 2001 that explores aspects of resource use and inventory at the Class III (intensive) level. An management in arid land ecosystems. It focuses ethnoecology study would be completed by on the drivers and consequences of management contract for the San Simon watershed. The study interventions, coupled with natural would consist of library/archival research and environmental change. Students are currently informant interviews to collect information on: organizing old archive files, using remote the watershed’s past environment; historic and sensing to map sheet eroded areas, and retaking present land uses; changes in the environment historical photographs. Dr. Ray Turner, author resulting from these uses; the areas present of The Changing Mile, has volunteered his environment; and recommendations for services as part of this project. management. • Complete Stream and Riparian Inventory. Third year Research and develop inventory methods for • Ecological Site Inventory. This effort is in ephemeral drainages. In coordination with a direct support of Arizona Standards for State-wide effort in Arizona, partnering with Rangeland Health. It provides an inventory of USFS and the National Riparian Team. ecological sites based on soil and vegetation. • Complete a Threatened and Endangered This inventory will serve all resource disciplines Species Habitat Inventory. Black-tailed prairie by providing ecological status for DPC dog inventory for potential habitat. objectives. This inventory is being developed for • Avian Corridor Inventory and Other Wildlife GIS format and will fulfill BLM Geospatial Inventories. Complete inventory of avian Metadata standards. This is part of a coordinated species within the San Simon watershed. This effort with the Coronado National forest and the area appears to function as a sky island corridor University of Arizona. connecting mountain ranges in Mexico with the • Complete Cultural Resource Inventory. A Gila River. Class II cultural resource inventory would be • Complete Standards and Guidelines completed covering the San Simon Valley. Evaluation and Rangeland Monitoring. AZ • Stream and Riparian Inventory. Research and Standards for Rangeland Health Evaluations develop inventory methods for ephemeral within the San Simon watershed. This effort will drainages. In coordination with a State-wide consist of monitoring indicators of rangeland effort in Arizona, partnering with USFS and the health to determine if allotments within the National Riparian Team. watershed are meeting the Arizona rangeland 684 • Avian Corridor Inventory. Complete Fifth year inventory of avian species within the San Simon • Community-Based Partnership. Provide watershed. This area appears to function as a sky training locally to interested public for island corridor connecting mountain ranges in development of a watershed plan. Identify Mexico with the Gila River. committed participants for the planning effort. • Paleontological Inventory. Continue ongoing • Project Coordinator. Once the Watershed inventory of paleo resources found within the Assessment contracts are completed, the project 3,000 foot elevation zone of the Whitlock coordinator would assist the BLM field office Mountains. planner with the community-based planning • Continue to Develop a GIS Database effort. This coordinator would also assist with efforts of the Safford/San Carlo/Duncan Fourth year Watershed Council. • San Simon Watershed Assessment. Sixth year Assimilation of resource inventory reports and • San Simon Watershed Plan. Cost associated results of geomorphic studies. Complete all data with plan development and printing. digitizing into GIS, report preparation and • Project Coordinator. Once the Watershed publishing. Assessment contracts are completed, the project coordinator would assist the BLM field office Phase III: Community-based partnership planner with the community-based planning effort. This coordinator would also assist with As part of this phase a community-based partnership efforts of the Safford/San Carlo/Duncan training would be offered to the community. This Watershed Council. would allow for a coordinated and interdisciplinary planning effort. This effort is necessary to allow the Benefits community to partake in planning for the management goals and objectives for the watershed The benefits of the assessment would be the and development implementation actions necessary determination of the overall effectiveness of the past to achieve them. 70 years of restoration work and identify where we need to focus restoration efforts to improve and Project goals are: restore the watershed condition for our community- 1. The determination of effectiveness of 70 based planning effort. Specifically, we would be years of watershed restoration efforts. able to characterize the environmental changes over 2. Determine the status of the San Simon the last 70 years and assess probable causes and Watershed, both uplands and channel. consequences of changes to base our planning effort 3. Proper inventory, evaluation and assessment on. of all resources. 4. Management of threatened and endangered The affect of the uplands on the water quality in the and special status species. Gila River has been an issue for many years. There 5. Identifying long-term uses and management are three threatened and endangered fish species in opportunities and goals for the watershed the Gila River and tributaries, including the and its natural resources. spikedace, razorback sucker, and loach minnow. There are two threatened and endangered birds At this point, inventory and assessment of the species, the cactus ferruginous pigmy owl and structures will have been completed. Resource southwestern willow flycatcher are also found along inventories will be underway and some will be the Gila River and possibly some tributaries. In the complete enough to begin forming analyses and uplands of the San Simon there is the lesser long interpretation. There will be a big picture to look at nose bat. Section 7 consultation is complete on all with fragmented resource inventories in place. It is species for the Safford Field Office Resource now time to form the official community-based Management Plan and the grazing program. Upon partnership and work group to look at the big completion of the community-based watershed plan picture, and discuss the social/political questions there may be a need to re-consult. provided by the restoration effort. Water quality and quantity have been a long standing issue on the Upper Gila Watershed, with on 685 going litigation over both subjects. The Clean Water 4. Arizona Department of Environmental Act placed the responsibility upon the states to Quality, 319 grants for various projects implement many portions of the Act including ($100,000) reduction in non-point source pollution. The Clean 5. Arizona Department of Water Resources Water Action Plan has directed agencies to take a various grants ($78,000 grant) holistic management approach to improving the 6. Watershed Affiliates ($200,000 through in water resources. This effort is being made through kind service). the Gila Monster Watershed Council for the whole Upper Gila Watershed and through the San The following list of watershed affiliates have been Carlos/Safford/Duncan Watershed Group in contributing to similar projects on the Gila River Arizona. This effort was initiated in 1993 and is a through the Arizona Gila Monster Watershed community-based effort that has wide local and Council. The San Simon discharges into the Gila national support. River and the San Simon project is of great interest to the Gila Monster Watershed Council. The Public lands in the San Simon Watershed contribute affiliates include: Gila Valley NRCD; Farm Bureau; substantially to silt load entering into the Gila River Phelps Dodge Mining Company; Arizona Cattle and into the San Carlos Reservoir. During the 1930s Growers; Gila Valley Irrigation District; Franklin the US Geological Survey estimated as much as Irrigation District; Graham and Greenlee County 30% of the silt load entering into the San Carlos Boards of Supervisors; City Councils of Safford, Reservoir came from the San Simon watershed. Thatcher, and Pima; Chambers of Commerce of Over the years the watershed has improved but is Safford, Thatcher and Pima; The Nature still a highly eroding area. Much of the watershed of Conservancy; San Carlos Apache Tribe; Natural the Gila River is on public lands; effective Resource Conservation Districts; Federal agencies management will require a joint effort from both including Bureau of Reclamation, Environmental public and private lands. Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; State agencies including Budget and personnel constraints have prevented the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Arizona bureau from doing a proper assessment and planning Geological Survey, Arizona Department of for the watershed. Another major concern is the Environmental Quality, and Eastern Arizona inability to do proper maintenance on roads and College; and a variety of private citizens. existing structures that affect watershed function. Without proper maintenance these contribute to soil Conclusions erosion and deterioration of water quality in the Gila River. Roads need to be inventoried and classified Together, the partners are prepared to study the past and their contribution to sediment monitored. Future restoration actions, and to propose new actions to conservation work and management needs to take accelerate watershed and river restoration on the San place within the watershed in order to be in Simon River and Watershed. The study is causation compliance with parts of the Clean Water Act. based, using the latest in analytical and resource inventory tools. Partnerships Acknowledgments The Upper Gila Watershed has many on going projects that focus on public and private lands. Many The authors appreciate funding by the Arizona cooperators participate. The primary funds come Department of Water Resources, Bureau of through: Reclamation Technical Service Center, and the Bureau of Land Management. The authors also 1. Arizona Water Protection Fund (~$500,000 appreciate the input and participation of the grant) Safford/San Carlos/Duncan Watershed group. 2. Bureau of Reclamation (~$500,000 grant) 3. University of Arizona ($150,000 through in kind service)

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