CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
BECAUSE LIFE IS GOOD

Protecting endangered species and wild places through
science, policy, education, and environmental law.

For Immediate Release July 9, 2005

San Pedro River Runs Dry for First Time near Fort Huachuca

Arizona’s last surviving desert river in trouble as USGS’ Charleston Narrows gage registers zero flow for the first time in recorded history

Contact: Dr. Robin Silver, CBD Board Chair, 602.246.4170 rsilver@biologicaldiversity.org

Stream flow measurements from the Charleston gage east of Fort Huachuca go back to March 29, 1904.[1] For the first time since recordings began in 1904, San Pedro River stream flow at this gage has disappeared.[2]

The Charleston gage is located just to the east of Fort Huachuca in an area known as the Charleston Narrows.[3] Bedrock there at the surface of the river channel forces the San Pedro River’s entire sub-surface flow to the surface.[4] San Pedro River stream flow at the Charleston Narrows is the most sensitive indicator of the health of the Upper San Pedro watershed’s groundwater aquifer.[5] For the first time in recorded history, the San Pedro River has run dry at the Charleston Narrows.[6]

This new development follows the recent revelation that the cone of depression resulting from the excessive deficit groundwater pumping in the Fort Huachuca/Sierra Vista is now directly affecting San Pedro River base flow. [7] Base flow is the stream flow during the driest times of the year. On June 1, 2005, Fort Huachuca released groundwater monitoring well data showing that the excessive local groundwater pumping in the Fort Huachuca/Sierra Vista area is causing groundwater levels to drop adjacent to River at the eastern edge of the Base.[8]

Fort Huachuca’s groundwater monitoring wells are located adjacent to the San Pedro River, the USGS’ Charleston gage and the Charleston Narrows.[9] The interpretation of Fort Huachuca’s monitoring well data that the Fort Huachuca/Sierra Vista cone of depression is directly affecting the San Pedro is supported by newly reviewed U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data showing reduced water seeping from the regional aquifer to the San Pedro River in the Lewis Springs area.[10] Lewis Springs is located upstream from Fort Huachuca on the San Pedro River.

The San Pedro River is the last surviving free flowing, un-dammed desert river in the Southwest.[11] The San Pedro flows through the center of the watershed within which Fort Huachuca is located. The San Pedro stream flow reflects the surface of the area’s groundwater aquifer, or the water table itself.[12] San Pedro River stream flow during the driest times of the year seeps directly from the groundwater aquifer into the River.[13] Groundwater from this aquifer is the only source of water in the area. Excessive, unmitigated and increasing, local groundwater pumping from this aquifer threatens the San Pedro River.[14] The groundwater pumping deprives the San Pedro River of surface flow due to the existence of a direct hydrological connection between the water in the area’s underground aquifer and the surface water, or actual stream flow, in the River.[15] As pumping lowers the aquifer level or water table, stream flow is diminished.[16]

According to 2003 USGS data released on November 18, 2004, the deficit has increased by 134.3% to -12,050 acre-feet per year, from -5,144 acre-feet per year as cited in the August 23, 2002, Biological Opinion.[17] Not surprisingly, San Pedro River base flow has been decreasing dramatically.[18]

 

References:

ACOE 1970. Summary of Ground Water Supply Conditions, Fort Huachuca,
Arizona, Department of the Army, Sacramento District, Corps of Engineers,
Sacramento, California, July 1970.

ACOE 1974. Report on Water Supply, Ft. Huachuca and Vicinity, Arizona,
Main Report, U.S. Army Engineer District, Los Angeles Corps of Engineers,
March 29, 1974.

ACOE 1998. Memorandum for the Record. Subject: Compilation and Analysis of
April 1995 to April 1998 Water-level Data at Monitoring and Test Wells,
Fort Huachuca, AZ, Jon Fenske, P.E., Hydrologic Engineer, U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, July 1, 1998.

ACOE 1999. Memorandum for the Record. Subject: Compilation and Analysis of
April 1995 to October 1999 Water-level Data at Monitoring and Test Wells,
Fort Huachuca, AZ, Jon Fenske, P.E., Hydrologic Engineer, U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, November 6, 1999.

ACOE 2005. Monitoring Well Data, Fort Huachuca, Arizona, April 14, 1995
through April 25, 2005. 2003; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles
Engineer District, May 9, 2005.

ADWR 1988. Putman, Frank, Kim Mitchell, Greg Bushner, “Water Resources of
the Upper San Pedro Basin, Arizona,” Hydrology Division, Arizona Department
of Water Resources, Phoenix, Arizona, July 1988.

ADWR 1991. Arizona Department of Water Resources, Preliminary hydrographic
survey report for the San Pedro River watershed. Volume 1: General
Assessment. Phoenix, Arizona. 548 pp.

ADWR 1994b. Upper San Pedro River case study, Arizona Riparian Protection
Program, Legislative Report, Arizona Department of Water Resources, Pages
147-208, July 1994.

ADWR 1996b. Corell, S. W., et al. 1996. A groundwater flow model of the
Sierra Vista subwatershed of the Upper San Pedro Basin­southeastern
Arizona. Phoenix: Arizona Department of Water Resources, Hydrology
Division, Modeling Report No. 10. December 1996.

AGFD 1993. Arizona Riparian Inventory and Mapping Project, Arizona Game
and Fish Department, Phoenix, December 1, 1993.

American Birding Association 1995. American Birding Association, Inc.,
“ Winging It”, Volume 7, Number 10, October 1995.

Arizona Highways 1989. “San Pedro Riparian Area,” Sam Negri, Arizona
Highways Magazine, April 1989.

ASL 1994. ASL Hydrologic & Environmental Services in conjunction with R.
Allan Freeze Engineering, Inc., SIERRA VISTA SUBWATERSHED HYDROLOGY PRIMER,
produced for the City of Sierra Vista, Bella Vista Water Company, Inc. and
Pueblo Del Sol Water Company, December 1994.

CBD v. DoD 1999. Order, Center for Biological Diversity et al. v. Donald
H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, et al., CIV99-203 TUC ACM, 198 F. Supp.
2d 1139, April 8, 2002.

CEC 1999a. “Ribbon of Life, An Agenda for Preserving Transboundary
Migratory Bird Habitat on the Upper San Pedro River, Commission For
Environmental Cooperation, 1999

CEC 1999b. “Sustaining and Enhancing Riparian Migratory Bird Habitation on
the Upper San Pedro River, Final Draft,” Commission for Environmental
Cooperation San Pedro Expert Team, March 1999.

CEQ 1981. David Sheridan, Desertification of the United States, Council on
Environmental Quality 1981.

Department of the Interior 2004. “Water Management of the Regional Aquifer
in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed, Arizona – 2004 Report to Congress,
Prepared in consultation with the Secretaries of Agriculture and Defense
and in cooperation with the Upper San Pedro Partnership in response to
Public Law 108 – 136, Section 321,” U.S. Department of the Interior, Draft
Version November 18, 2004.

Fort Huachuca 2002c. Programmatic Biological Assessment for Ongoing and
Programmed Future Military Operations and Activities at Fort Huachuca,
Arizona, Environmental and Natural Resources Division, Directorate of
Installation Support, U.s. Army Garrison, Fort Huachuca, Arizona, July 2002.

Fort Huachuca 2005. Correspondence from Ms. Angela Moncur, Deputy Public
Affairs Officer, Fort Huachuca; to Dr. Robin Silver, Board Chair, CBD; RE:
Water level data compilation through April 2005; June 1, 2005.

National Geographic 2000. “A Special Place, The Patience of a Saint San
Pedro River,” Barbara Kingsolver, National Geographic, April 2000.

New York Times 1999. “In Arizona Desert, a Desert Oasis in Peril,” Jon
Christensen, New York Times, May 4, 1999.

SWCBD v. DoD 1994. Memorandum Opinion, SWCBD v. William Perry, U.S.
Secretary of Defense, et al., CIV 94-598 TUC ACM, August 30, 1995.

USFWS 1999e. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Opinion concerning
activities, authorized, carried out, or funded by the Department of the
Army at and near Fort Huachuca, Arizona, for the next 10 years, #AESO/ES
2-21-98-F-266, October 27, 1999.

USFWS 2002. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Opinion concerning
impacts that may result from activities authorized, carried out, or funded
by the Department of the Army at and near Fort Huachuca, Arizona. #AESO/ES
2-21-02- F-229 August 23, 2002.

USGS 1999a. Pool, D.R, and Alissa L. Coes, Hydrogeologic Investigations of
the Sierra Vista Subwatershed of the Upper San Pedro Basin, Cochise County,
Southeast Arizona, Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4197, USGS, 1999.

USGS 1999b. “Ground Water and Surface Water, A Single Resource, U.S.
Geological Survey Circular 1139,” by Thomas C. Winter, Judson W. Harvey, O.
Lehn Franke, William M. Alley, Denver, Colorado, USGS, 1999.

USGS 2004b. Monthly Streamflow Statistics for Arizona, USGS 09471000
SAN PEDRO RIVER AT CHARLESTON, AZ.; Monthly mean streamflow, in ft3/s; USGS;
http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/az/nwis/monthly/?site_no=09471000&agency_cd=USGS;
Monthly Streamflow Statistics for Arizona, USGS 09470500
SAN PEDRO RIVER AT PALOMINAS, AZ.; Monthly mean streamflow, USGS;
http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/az/nwis/monthly/?site_no=09470500&agency_cd=USGS;
December 2, 2004.

USGS 2005a. USGS Website,
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/az/nwis/gwlevels?search_criteria=lat_long_bounding_box&submitted_form=introduction;
Lat-Long box (DMS): North Latitude, 313313; South Latitude, 313310;
West Longitude 110826; East Longitude 110822; Well #4, 313312110082301;
Well #5, 313312110082303; Well #2, 31331210082501; Well #3, 313312110082502;
June 2, 2005.

USGS 2005b. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Website, Daily Streamflow for Arizona,
USGS 09471000 SAN PEDRO RIVER AT CHARLESTON, AZ.; through September 30, 2004;
http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/az/nwis/discharge/?site_no=09471000&agency_cd=USGS;
June 6, 2005.

USGS 2005c. USGS 09471000 SAN PEDRO RIVER AT CHARLESTON, AZ.;
Data Category: Streamflow Measurements; USGS Water Resources; Daily Streamflow;
Surface-water: Daily streamflow; 3/29/1904 – 9/30/04; USGS website
http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/az/nwis/discharge/?site_no=09471000&agency_cd=USGS;
July 8, 2005.

USGS 2005d. USGS 09471000 SAN PEDRO RIVER AT CHARLESTON, AZ.;
Data Category: Real-time; USGS Water Resources; Output format: table; Days: 7,
July 2, 2005 00:00 through July 8, 2005 19:00; USGS website:
http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/az/nwis/uv?format=html&period=7&site_no=09471000;
July 8, 2005.

USGS 2005e. Site Map for Arizona; USGS 09471000 SAN PEDRO RIVER AT CHARLESTON, AZ.;
USGS Water Resources; USGS website:
http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/az/nwis/nwismap/?site_no=09471000&agency_cd=USGS;
July 8, 2005.


[1] USGS 2005c
[2] USGS 2005d
[3] USGS 2005e
[4] ADWR 1988; USGS 1999a
[5] USGS 1999a
[6] USGS 2005d
[7] ACOE 2005
[8] Fort Huachuca 2005
[9] ACOE 1998, 1999; USGS 2005e
[10] USGS 2005a
[11] AGFD 1993; American Birding Association 1995; Arizona Highways 1989;
CBD v. DoD 1999; CEC 1999a; CEQ 1981; National Geographic 2000; New York
Times 1999
[12] ACOE 1970; ACOE 1974; ADWR 1994b; CEC 1999b; USGS 1999a, 1999b
[13] ADWR 1988, 1991, 1994b; CEC 1999b; CEQ 1981; USGS 1999a; USFWS 1999e, 2002
[14] CEC 1999b; CBD v. DoD 1999, SWCBD v. DoD 1994; USFWS 2002
[15] ACOE 1970; ACOE 1974; ADWR 1994b; ASL 1994; USGS 1999a, 1999b
[16] ACOE 1970; ACOE 1974; ADWR 1994b; CBD v. DoD 1999, CEC 1999b; SWCBD v.
DoD 1994; USFWS 2002; USGS 1999a, 1999b
[17] Department of the Interior 2004, Appendix C – Sierra Vista
Subwatershed Ground-Water Budget, Table C1. Summarization of
predevelopment ground-water budgets for the Sierra Vista Subwatershed, USGS
2003 data; Fort Huachuca 2002c, p, 88, Appendix K; USFWS 2002, p. 90
[18] ADWR 1996b; CEC 1999b; USGS 1999a, 2005b



 

 

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