Prepared in cooperation with the ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Investigation of the Geology and Hydrology of the Mogollon Highlands of Central Arizona: A Project of the Arizona Rural Watershed Initiative The Mogollon Highlands of east developing an understanding of the central Arizona is a region of forested hydrogeologic framework, which is the plateau and mountains, deep, sheer- relation between geologic and hydrologic walled canyons, and desert valleys. properties, that can be used for water-- Known for its scenic beauty and resources management purposes and that ARIZONA characterized by a generally mild climate, will support the development of an the area, though still sparsely populated, interpretive and predictive model to Mogollon attracts an increasing number of tourists estimate the effects of climate and water Highlands and summer residents. Furthermore, the use on the sustainability of regional water study area permanent population is expected to resources. nearly double over the next 50 years. Although the three continguous areas Consequently, there is increased pressure in north-central Arizona are being studied on the water resources of this area for separately, a single data base is being several sometimes conflicting uses. constructed from which Rational management of water resources data on each area can is necessary to meet increased domestic be extracted separately. requirements while ensuring an adequate supply of water for commercial and 111˚30' 111˚00' agricultural use, for Indian lands, and for preservation of valued environmental elements, including surface waters, COLORADO riparian woodlands, forest and grassland M 34˚30' OG PLATEAU OLL areas, and wildlife and aquatic habitat. ON k ee R Such management requires an under- r IM l C Strawberry si standing of the relations among different s Overgaard o Pine components of the hydrologic F Kohls Ranch Tonto system—recharge areas, surface flows, E Village as er shallow aquifers, deep aquifers, discharge t V iv erde R Payson areas, and the regional ground-water flow 110˚30' system—and how each is affected by k ek e e k geology, climate, topography, and human r e Rye C r e o C e t use. r n y r o r C e T The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) h n o S C y M is conducting an assessment of the I V A E n 34˚00' a e R Z r R C hydrogeology of the Mogollon Highlands A d T A e in cooperation with the Arizona Z A R A i N v L C Department of Water Resources. The e H r M A study, funded through the State’s Rural O U N Watershed Initiative program, is one of T A I three assessments being conducted by the N S USGS. Assessments also are underway er iv R in the Upper-Middle Verde River S watershed and on the Coconino Plateau. alt Theodore 0 10 MILES Each study has as its objectives: (1) the Roosevelt collection, compilation, and e valuation of Lake 0 10 KILOMETERS all existing geologic, hydrologic, and related data pertaining to the study area Figure 1. Location of Mogollon Highlands study area. The dark brown line delineates and the creation of a data base that is the primary study area; the more extensive area of light-brown tones delineates the proposed readily accessible to the public and (2) boundaries for regional ground-water flow modeling. U.S. Department of the Interior USGS Fact Sheet 159-00 U.S. Geological Survey December 2000 Physical Setting (Wilson and others, 1959; Feth and Hem, within fractured parts of the Payson 1963; Mayer, 1978; Richards, 1987; granite, and alluvial aquifers in the basin The extended study area encompasses Weisman and Weir, 1990; Weir and fill of the Tonto Creek Basin and along about 4,855 mi2 (fig. 1), and the main Beard, 1997). some streams. Some springs discharge area of focus includes the Fossil Creek, The most significant structural from the Precambrian rocks of the Sierra East Verde River, and Tonto Creek characteristics include the shallow Ancha and Mazatzal Mountains, but the Basins below the Mogollon Rim. The northeastward dip of the Paleozoic hydrologic characteristics of those rocks Mogollon Rim is the eroded and rocks;ª the extensive fracturing of are not well known. The aquifers within dissected southwestern edge of the sedimentary and granitic rocks; solution the sedimentary rocks are recharged from Colorado Plateau and is one of the most features, such as caverns, in carbonate precipitation falling on the southern edge striking physical features in the study rocks; and northwest-southeast trending of the Colorado Plateau. Permeability area; it trends mainly east-west for about extensional faults associated with Basin within the sedimentary rocks generally is 80 miles, forming a steep escarpment and Range deformation. The Diamond Rim the result of fracturing, jointing, and about 2,000 ft above a lower, stepped Fault, which forms a secondary escarpment faulting of rocks of otherwise low plateau. South of the Mogollon Rim, the generally less than 1,000 ft high below the permeability. Within carbonate rocks, Transition Zone, an area of mountain main escarpment of the Mogollon Rim east permeability can be increased by the ranges and valleys, separates the of Payson, is the largest and most formation of solution features, such as Colorado Plateau from the Basin and continuous of the northwest-southeast conduits and caverns, by widening of Range province. Altitudes within the trending extensional faults. joints and fractures, and by dissolution of study area range from more than 7,500 ft beds. The cap rocks of the Mogollon Rim, at the top of the Mogollon Rim to about Hydrology which can be Tertiary basalt, and 1,500 ft at the mouth of the Verde limestone or sandstone of the Kaibab River.ª Precipitation ranges from more Perennial surface-water flows are the Formation and Coconino Sandstone, than 30 in. at the higher elevations to result of ground-water discharge and are generally are highly fractured and permit about 15 in. annually at the lowest desert restricted mainly to the major streams of rapid infiltration of surface waters to lower locations. Above about 5,000 ft,ª Fossil Creek, the East Verde River, and layers. Waters infiltrating the sedimentary vegetation is primarily Ponderosa pine Tonto Creek plus a few of their larger rocks frequently discharge at springs on forest with piñon pine and juniper tributaries. Other streams are intermittent the face of the Mogollon Rim and along woodland, oak woodland, and Sonoran or ephemeral. canyon walls and stream channels desert vegetation at successively lower The ground-water system consists of particularly where permeable rocks overlie altitudes. Population of the study area is several components including multiple less permeable rocks or where fractures or approximately 21,000, about two thirds aquifers within the sedimentary rocks of faults force ground-water flow to the of which live in the town of Payson. the Mogollon Rim, water-bearing zones surface (Feth and Hem, 1963). According to the Arizona State Land Department, about 80 percent of the land NORTH EXPLANATION is owned by the Federal government, VOLCANIC ROCKS TERTIARY primarily within the Tonto National KAIBAB FORMATION Forest, and about 15 percent of the land COCONINO SANDSTONE is included within five Indian PERMIAN reservations. Only 2.4 percent of the land UPPER SUPAI FORMATION within the study area is privately owned. LOWER SUPAI FORMATION PENNSYLVANIAN NACO FORMATION Geology REDWALL LIMESTONE MISSISSIPPIAN The edge of the Mogollon Rim MARTIN FORMATION DEVONIAN exposes a sequence, nearly 3,000 ft TAPEATS SANDSTONE CAMBRIAN thick,ªof Paleozoic sedimentary rocks MAZATZAL QUARTZITE PRECAMBRIAN that are capped by Tertiary volcanic PAYSON GRANITE rocks in the western part of the study area DIRECTION OF WATER MOVEMENT (fig. 2). The Paleozoic section is FAULT underlain by Precambrian rocks including the Mazatzal Quartzite and the Payson AREA OF FRACTURES granite. The Payson granite forms a SIGNIFICANT DISCONFORMITY topographic bench along the base of the rim that extends for about 10 miles west SOUTH to east. The town of Payson sits upon this exposure of granite. South of Payson, the Mazatzal Mountains and Sierra Ancha ? ? ? ? consist largely of Precambrian sedi- mentary, volcanic, and metamorphic rocks. The two mountain ranges flank the Figure 2. Schematic diagram of geology of the study area showing a generalized north valley of Tonto Creek, which is filled to south cross section from the crest of the Mogollon Rim to the granitic terrain around with alluvium of Quaternary and Tertiary the town of Payson. Springs may be fed directly from recharge areas on top of the Mogollon age to a depth of about 5,000 ft Rim or may be fed from deeper ground-water systems. from an average of 900 gal/min in the southern part of the study area to 52 gal/min on the Mogollon Rim and 48 EXPLANATION 111˚30' 111˚00' gal/min on the Colorado Plateau. The WELL NWIS contains about 123 springs that SPRING are within the study area, mainly on the face of the Mogollon Rim and in the canyons of major tributaries (fig. 3). 34˚30' Discharges range from 0.05 to 18,620 gal/min (fig. 4). Strawberry Pine Water Use Ground water is the source of almost Payson 110˚30' all water for human uses except recreation in the study area. Surface V e water generally cannot be used because r d e water rights to surface flows are owned by users downstream. About 30 water companies deliver almost 3,500 acre feet 34˚00' of water per year to commercial and R domestic customers in the area. There iv e are few irrigated lands in the study area.