Jerry,
Thanks for your patience on this...it was a tough one.
Here are some additional items that should be of interest to you as
they pertain to water supply issues in the Sedona area, now and in the
future:
http://www.co.yavapai.az.us/departments/Dev/unitspc/ordregs/genplan/FactSheet.pdf
Yavapai County General Plan INFO-SHEET MAY, 2002
...Within the Prescott Active Management Area the average family size
is estimated at 2.5 persons per household, using approximately 1/4
acre-feet per household per year in new subdivisions with central
water systems. Households with individual, small wells are estimated
to consume approximately 1/3 acre-feet per year.
...The goal of ADWR?s 3rd Management Plan is to achieve ?safe yield?,
i.e. maintain a long-term balance between the annual amount of
groundwater withdrawn and the annual amount of natural and artificial
recharge in the PAMA, by the year 2025. Safe yield may be accomplished
through augmentation of water supplies from outside the PAMA
boundaries, by additional groundwater recharge of reclaimed water and
from increased conservation efforts. Municipal, industrial and
agricultural water users within the PAMA are monitored, while
individual ?exempt? wells are not. An exempt well is defined as having
less than 35 gallons per minute capacity. Within the PAMA, growth of
exempt wells has been rapid with 4200 wells in 1985, more than
doubling to 8700 wells by 1997. The number of exempt wells in Yavapai
County far exceeds that in all other Arizona Counties.
...The three watersheds, covering two thirds of Yavapai County, are
part of the Gila River Watershed, which extends south to the Mexico
Border. The Gila River Stream Adjudication, currently being resolved
in Arizona courts, is an approach to establish the extent, nature and
priority of all water users in the watershed. As an alternative
approach to litigation, negotiations have been undertaken to develop a
fair and reasonable settlement of the water rights of Federal
Reserves, including the Gila River Indian Community, and the State of
Arizona. The settlement, if approved, will allocate 1.03 million
acre-feet of water per year to ten Indian Tribes, almost as much water
as that consumed for statewide residential and industrial uses...
...Five cities and towns in the Verde Valley Area are preparing to
file with Yavapai County to protect water rights through selection of
fair standards in determining well impacts on surface water. Other
parties, cities and towns are also expected to file legal or
scientific briefs of their positions. The Yavapai County Water
Advisory Committee (WAC), a County-wide organization, is providing
recommendation to the Board of Supervisors on the Adjudication and
other water resources issues...
==========
At this link:
http://www.water.az.gov/watershed/content/map/UppMidVerStu.htm
you'll find an overview of the Verde River Watershed, in which Sedona
is located. In addition to the brief overview itself, you should take
note of a number of reports and links available from this site.
In the upper right hand corner of the page is a box labeled "Watershed
Studies" that includes links to:
--Reconnaissance Watershed Analysis on Upper and Middle Verde Watershed
--Additional Middle Verde River Basin Information
--FY01 Upper & Middle Verde Study
--USGS Rural Watershed studies
The "Reconnaissance" report is a 122-pager with some interesting
details, including population projections for Sedona through the year
2030 (Table 4, page 23); and a discussion of "subwatershds" near
Sedona (page 115).
At the bottom of the overview page is another link to the Verde River
Watershed Study:
http://www.water.az.gov/ECscripts/ECware.exe/dcp?id=001&sku=000165&type=A1QH1&lc=EN
The study itself is not available online, but can be purchased from
the Arizona Department of Water Resources, who describes the study
this way:
==========
Verde River Watershed Study
The Verde River Watershed Study is a comprehensive analysis of the
water resources within the Verde River basin. The study area is
located in Central Arizona and covers parts of Yavapai, Coconino, and
Gila counties. The Verde River basin covers approximately 5,500 square
miles and is divided into the Big Chino, Verde Valley, and Verde
Canyon sub-basins. This study presents the current and historical
surface and groundwater supplies, municipal, industrial, agricultural,
and other water demands, natural and artificial recharge and effluent
supplies and demands. Water budgets were also developed and are
presented for five specific geographic regions within the study area
to evaluate the hydrologic components of the watershed and to
determine the current status of the groundwater system...
==========
Although I've traveled through numerous parts of Arizona, I haven't
been to Sedona myself, but I have heard from friends that it is
magnificent country. I hope the information here will help you make a
wise decision regarding its place in your future.
Before rating this answer, please let me know if you need any
additional information. Just post a Request for Clarification to let
me know how I can help, and I'm at your service (but probably not for
the next few days, as I'll be on travel).
All the best,
pafalafa-ga
search strategy: Google search on:
[ sedona "water plan" ]
[ sedona "safe yield" ]
[ "verde river" "safe yield" ] |
