To the Natural Drainage Systems of Arizona
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Wildlife Unit Technical Series Southwestern Region Index to the Natural Drainage Systems of Arizona -- A Computer Compatible Digital Identification of Perennial Lotic Waters by 2 William SiIvey, John N. Rinne, and Roger Sorenson Abstract A computer compatable digitalized listing of all naturally occurring perennial waters in the State of Arizona is provided. The approach utilizes the Arizona Resources Inventory and RUN WILD systems of storage and retrieval and includes bibliographic references and listings of fishes for all streams where data are available. 1 Fisheries Management Branch, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, Arizona. 2 Research Fishery Biologist, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Tempe, in cooperation with Arizona State University. Headquarters is in Fort Collins, in cooperation with Colorado State University. Contents Page Introduction ... 1 Methodology and Approach ... 2 Acknowledgments .................................................................................. 4 Bibliography .................................................................................... 31 Tables ........................................................................................... 36 Introduction Perennial water in Arizona is a vital resource need for data on fisheries resources to meet the for both consumptive and non-consumptive uses, requirements of the Resources Planning and yet exclusive of Miller's 1954 graphic repre- National Forest Management acts and other Federal sentation (65) and more recent 1977, 1978, and and State legislation. The compendium presented 1981 revisions of stream maps by Brown, Carmonv, here, in its abbreviated form, has been developed and Turner (14, 15, 16), only U.S. Geological for fisheries and wildlife biologists, and others Survey publications on major surface waters as a working tool for use in the planning process attempt amassing data on more than a few of the dictated by these Acts. perennial systems. Consequently, there is a need for a comprehensive catalog of all perennial The 554 waters recognized here vary in magnitude waters. from the Colorado River to minute streams rarely exceeding a few hundred meters of perennial flow. From its inception, this work has been intended A digital identification, name, and geographic to present data on all naturally occurring location are presented for each stream. When perennial streams of Arizona. Numerous individuals available, fishery resources are identified and in State and Federal agencies have expressed a references provided for a particular stream. 1 Methodology and Approach The numeric identification sequence utilized here Latitude-longitude coordinates are used to locate is part of the computerized State of Arizona each system to nearest fifteen second (15") Resources Inventory System (AR'S) program, with locality. Arizona lies entirely within the range 600. digital sequence denoting aquatic wildlife of North latitudes (31(7)-38°) by West longitudes habitat (Table 1). Employing the 600. series, (109°-115°). Consequently, all locational data the work recognizes four discrete hydrographic lie within these ranges and for brevity of text, regions that comprise Arizona's drainage affin- North (N) and West (W) designations are excluded ities. The major land mass, in excess of 90 in the work. Information presented denotes percent of Arizona's 113,909 plus square miles, location of the particular stream's confluence is within the Colorado River watershed (Table 2); with higher order stream, approximate point of consequently, we have selected the 610. numeric stream's defined channel termination, or point series to designate waters of this vast hydro- of stream's exit from geographic boundary of graphic region. Persons utilizing this work Arizona. should thus recognize an individual numeric identifier prefaced with digit sequence 61_. as Following locational information a numeric sequence being tributary to the Colorado River. Similarly, preceeded by RW is presented. These data correspond the identifiers 62_., 63_., and 64_. represent to fish species designations in Table 5. This the Yaqui, Sonoran (Rio Sonovta, and Rio Magdalena), system of species identification, modified for and Closed Basin hydrographic regions more known additions to Arizona fish fauna, has been common, respectively (Fig. 1). adopted from Patton's Vertebrate Checklist for Arizona and New Mexico (88). The system is an Subordinate drainages within each of these regions integral part of the U.S. Forest Service "RUN are identified utilizing an expansion of the base WILD" (RW) program, a computerized storage and digit series. For example, major tributaries of retrieval data bank for wildlife and fisheries the Colorado River are consecutively numbered information ( 87). We have adopted this identifi- from lowermost (Gila River, 611.) upstream to cation system here to integrate "Drainage Systems uppermost (San Juan River, 615.). Likewise, of Arizona" with the RW program. Table 6 used in major drainages tributary to the Gila River are combination with Table 3 facilitates determining numbered from lower to uppermost (Table 2). the documented distribution of a species throughout This format is employed throughout sub-drainages waters of the state. to the level of individual streams (Table 3). Thus, users of the work should recognize that the Following the RW numeric sequence, are reference first noted entry of a particular drainage is numbers corresponding to the bibliographic section lowermost in geographic position while the last are presented. These notations indicate at a entry is uppermost in the watershed. Users will minimum that some investigation or collection has note an extreme variation in number of digits been documented for the particular water. Some required to identify individual streams among entries have no species bibliographic reference; drainages; this difference is a function of the these data result from ongoing investigations. complexity of an individual drainage. Some References incorporated heavily emphasize fishery digital identifiers are prefaced with an asterisk resources; however, some comprehensive works *; this notation indicates an ephemeral channel entail lengthy discussion of related material. noted merely for locational reference to a subordinate perennial stream. Reference works noted in the compendium are extremely varied; museum registers, published Names of streams specified in the work are those works, unpublished reports and other documents of given on current editions of U.S. Geological Federal, State, and private entities up to 1981 Survey 71/2 .and 15 minute series quadrangle topo- have been incorporated to provide users with the graphic maps. Where not referenced on the broadest spectrum of available data. Sources, topographic map series, names incorporated are availability, and content of works are similarly those adopted in local vernacular, if available. varied and users should consult those indicated In these instances, names are enclosed in quotation to determine the extent of information available marks, e.g., "Boneyard Creek". Users will note for a particular water. Frequent notation that no name is referenced, either official or throughout the work of reference numbers 5 and colloquial, for a few entries. This void is 107, museum registers of Arizona State University noted by enclosure in parenthesis, i.e., ( ). and University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology, To facilitate use of the work an alphabetical respectively, are indicative of these extensive listing of streams is provided for users unfamiliar fish collections from Arizona. Notation of these with geographic relationships of the drainages of numbers indicate, at a minimum, the collection of Arizona (Table 4). a fish from the particular stream, however, 2 extent of museum holdings can only be determined even the minimal data required for inclusion by review of the appropriate register. Collection here. User contributions will ultimately expand of fishes within the state and production of new the listing presented. Virtually any of the literature is ongoing and this publication major drainages recognized may have additional obviously will be out of date by press time. We perennial waters not identified here. Conversely, anticipate periodic (3-5 yr) updates of these some entries may be erroneous and deletions collections and works. should be made. Users themselves will ultimately determine content of the final work; a comprehensive This compended work recognizes 554 perennial document recognizing and presenting data on every waters; data and supportive references are perennial water of Arizona. included for 320; the remaining 234 systems lack 3 Acknowledgments Many people were involved in this effort through Arizona Game and Fish Department, Arizona State their suggestions, criticisms, and most of all University, United States Forest Service, and their knowledge of the perennial waters of Arizona. Bureau of Land Management who have contributed to We are deeply indebted to those employees of the this work. 4 -'-- , PERMANENT STREAM - ,, TEMPORARY STREAM tpx10. RESERVOIR Figure 1.--The drainage systems of Arizona (see Table 2 for areas) 5 Table 1.--Aquatic wildlife habitat classification system 600. Aquatic Wildlife Habitat 6X0. Hydrographic Region 6-0x. Major Drainages 60-0-.XX Subordinate Drainages Table 2.--Digital hierarchy and hydrographic area of the drainage systems of Arizona 2 1 Drainage Areas (miles ) Sub-Totals Totals