Coconino Plateau Water Advisory Council 22 February 2013 City of Flagstaff, Utilities Division NPS, Flagstaff Area National Monuments USDA Forest Service, Coconino National Forest Santa Fe Dam 1897 San Francisco Forest Reserve 1898 (Coconino National Forest) Lower Lake Mary 1904 Walnut Canyon National Monument 1915 Upper Lake Mary 1941/1951 Various patented private lands, mostly around turn of 20th century Addresses City and Federal interests across a large area of the Little Colorado River Basin. Only a few key points here: • Confirms City’s right to pump groundwater • Defines future well placement within the Coconino NF • Protects Coconino NF water well at Pine Grove Campground, and NPS water wells at Walnut Canyon, Sunset Crater, and Wupatki National Monuments Addresses surface rights only between the United States and City of Flagstaff Only within the area shown in the attached Watershed Map • City has right to store 15,653 acre-feet • Caps surface water diversion/use at 10,035.1 acre-feet per year • Minimum reservoir volume of 2,350 acre-feet (reservoir level of 18.3 feet) - further withdrawals negotiable with U.S. during periods of water shortage • Dam height cannot be raised • No additional surface water reservoirs within the Walnut Canyon watershed • Acknowledges ownership by the U.S. (Coconino NF) • U.S. has right to store up to 0.92 acre feet; City has right to take this stored water during periods of water shortage • U.S. may divert up to 4 acre feet per year for livestock watering • U.S. may modify dam or spillway if consistent with the 1941 agreement. At such time, additional operational criteria for Upper Lake Mary take effect to prevent the reservoir level from dropping below 18.3 feet, with exception for periods of water shortage. Acknowledges the importance of municipal values in Lake Mary watershed, including the desire to use best management practices which maintain the quantity and quality of the municipal water supply. Parties agree to cooperate in developing study proposals and projects to evaluate best management practices, reservoir modifications, and/or operational criteria to maintain the quality/quantity of the municipal water supply and to increase the likelihood of flood flows within Walnut Canyon. The City shall make a one-time contribution of $100,000 to a trust account to be managed by the National Park Foundation or like partner for Walnut Canyon National Monument. The City will otherwise not be obligated to expend funds or dedicate City resources to increase the likelihood of flood flows in Walnut Canyon. The U.S. will seek Federal funding of $100,000 for studies and projects designed to protect municipal values and increase the chance of flood flows in Walnut Canyon. Funds may be used to collect hydrologic data within the watershed to support studies and projects. Established the Lake Mary-Walnut Creek Technical Advisory Committee Current Representatives City Utilities Division: Brad Hill & Erin Young Coconino National Forest: Rory Steinke & Tom Runyon Flagstaff Area National Monuments: Lisa Leap & Paul Whitefield • Meeting once or twice per year since 2002 • First MOU/Charter executed in 2003 • Objectives and direction verbatim from the Stipulation • National Park Foundation account established with City’s donation of $100,000 in 2005. First MOU term expired in 2008 • TAC members continued to meet occasionally to update MOU/Charter • Revised MOU/Charter executed in January 2013 - ten year term • No expenditure of funds to date. Expenditure requires approval by consensus of all three parties, including vetting with Flagstaff City Council • Draft list of ideas compiled in 2006 • Wide range of ideas and suggestions, current focus on three concepts • Any modification of infrastructure would likely affect Federal lands/resources, involve Federal funding, or require Federal agency decision • Implementation would require early public/stakeholder involvement and environmental impact analysis (NEPA) • TAC supports and is willing to become involved in developing technical information which is needed to support impact analysis and decision-making for proposals/projects • Vegetation management within Lake Mary-Walnut Creek watershed • Lower the Lower Lake Mary spillway • Diversion of floodwater from Rio de Flag to Walnut Creek • Fourth proposed feasibility study to assess environmental benefits/detriments, model water budgets, identify knowledge gaps, and estimate costs of these three concepts Brown, H.E., M.B. Baker Jr., J.J. Rogers, W.P. Clary, J.L. Kovner, F.R. Larson, C.C. Avery, and R.E. Campbell. 1974. Opportunities for increasing water yields and other multiple use values on ponderosa forest lands. Fort Collins, Colorado: Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, USDA Forest Service Research Paper RM-191. Miller, C. A. 2007. Analysis of Current and Historical Surface Flows and Hydrologic Response to Restoration Treatments in the Upper Lake Mary Watershed, Arizona. Unpublished professional paper, Northern Arizona University. Stipulation intentionally advances this concept: • Acknowledges ownership of LLM dam by the Coconino NF • Federal obligation to store 0.92 acre feet for the City to use in times of water shortage • Current spillway elevation is above this pool level • City agrees not to object to modification of LLM dam or spillway, if consistent with the 1941 agreement • Other stakeholders would need to be involved .