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 8 San Francisco Peaks 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 600 20,000 18,000 500 16,000 14,000 400 12,000 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