Yuma County CWPP 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................................... I TABLE OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................................ III LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................................................. III EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................... 1 TAKE HOME MESSAGE ............................................................................................................................................... 2 HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT ................................................................................................................................. 2 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................................. 4 THE NATIONAL FIRE PLAN AND THE HEALTHY FORESTS RESTORATION ACT ......................................................... 5 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................................................... 6 COLLABORATION: COMMUNITY AND AGENCIES ................................................................................................ 7 STUDY AREA OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................................... 8 DEFINING THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE ........................................................................................................ 11 VALUES AT RISK ................................................................................................................................................ 14 LIFE SAFETY AND HOMES ......................................................................................................................................... 14 COMMERCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE ....................................................................................................................... 14 Economic Values ................................................................................................................................................. 14 Critical Infrastructure .......................................................................................................................................... 14 ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................ 16 Watershed and River Concerns ........................................................................................................................... 16 CURRENT RISK SITUATION ................................................................................................................................. 17 CURRENT AND PLANNED FUELS PROJECTS ......................................................................................................... 19 FIRE BEHAVIOR DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................. 22 FUELS ........................................................................................................................................................................ 22 WEATHER ................................................................................................................................................................... 22 TOPOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................................................................. 23 LOCAL PREPAREDNESS AND FIRE DEPARTMENT CAPABILITIES ........................................................................... 24 YUMA FIRE DEPARTMENT ....................................................................................................................................... 24 SAN LUIS FIRE DEPARTMENT ................................................................................................................................... 25 SOMERTON/COCOPAH FIRE DEPARTMENT ............................................................................................................. 26 WELLTON FIRE DEPARTMENT .................................................................................................................................. 27 TACNA FIRE DEPARTMENT ...................................................................................................................................... 28 RURAL/METRO FIRE DEPARTMENT ......................................................................................................................... 29 IMPERIAL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE .................................................................................................................. 30 ARIZONA STATE FORESTRY ...................................................................................................................................... 31 BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................................................... 31 COMMUNITY IGNITABILITY ANALYSIS AND SPECIFIC COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATIONS .................................. 32 PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................................................. 32 COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................... 33 WUI COMMUNITIES IN YUMA COUNTY ................................................................................................................... 34 1. Martinez Lake ................................................................................................................................................ 34 i Yuma County CWPP 2010 2. Fisher’s Landing .............................................................................................................................................. 38 3. Hidden Shores Village ..................................................................................................................................... 43 4. Riverfront RV Park .......................................................................................................................................... 47 Cocopah Bend RV & Golf Resort .......................................................................................................................... 50 The Arizona Island ‐ River Ranch RV Park ........................................................................................................... 50 AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST ............................................................................................................................. 51 EAST AND WEST WETLANDS PARKS ......................................................................................................................... 52 IMPERIAL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE .................................................................................................................. 53 GILA RIVER CORRIDOR ............................................................................................................................................. 56 YUMA PROVING GROUND ....................................................................................................................................... 56 CONCLUSIONS AND NEXT STEPS ........................................................................................................................ 58 GLOSSARY ......................................................................................................................................................... 59 RECOMMENDED READING ................................................................................................................................ 62 WEBSITE RESOURCES INCLUDING GRANT RESOURCES ....................................................................................... 64 ii Yuma County CWPP 2010 TABLE OF FIGURES FIGURE 1. LAND OWNERSHIP IN YUMA COUNTY ....................................................................................................................... 9 FIGURE 2. OVERVIEW OF COMMUNITIES AND AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST ................................................................................... 12 FIGURE 3. FUEL MODELS FOUND IN YUMA COUNTY ................................................................................................................ 13 FIGURE 4. WELLTON‐MOHAWK IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE DISTRICT BOUNDARY ....................................................................... 15 FIGURE 5. FUELS TREATMENT PROJECTS ............................................................................................................................... 20 FIGURE 6. YUMA FIRE STATION #6 ...................................................................................................................................... 24 FIGURE 7. SAN LUIS FIRE DEPARTMENT ...............................................................................................................................