Phoenix AMA

111 Pages·2010·39.95 MB·English

Section 8.1
Phoenix AMA
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8.1.1 Geography of the Phoenix AMA
The Phoenix AMA is 5,646 square miles in area, the largest AMA in the planning area. Geographic
features and principal communities are shown on Figure 8.1-1. The AMA is characterized by
valleys surrounded by mid-elevation mountain ranges. Vegetation types are predominantly Lower
Colorado River Valley and Arizona Uplands Sonoran desertscrub with a small area of southwestern
interior chaparral in the northeastern portion of the AMA. (see Figure 8.0-10) Riparian vegetation,
primarily tamarisk, is found extensively along the Gila River below the 91st Avenue Wastewater
Treatment Plant.
• Principal geographic features shown on Figure 8.1-1 are:
The Gila River, the major drainage in the AMA, running from the southeast near
o
Sacaton to the northwest, exiting the AMA south of Arlington.
The Salt River running east to west through the center of the AMA to its confluence
o
with the Gila River southeast of Goodyear.
The Verde River running north to south in the northeastern part of the AMA to its
o
confluence with the Salt River south of Fort McDowell.
The Agua Fria River, west of Anthem running south from Lake Pleasant to its
o
confluence with the Gila River south of Goodyear.
The Hassayampa River in the western part of the AMA, running south to its
o
confluence with the Gila River.
Tributaries to the rivers listed above including Skunk Creek, New River and Cave
o
Creek in the northeast, Waterman Wash and Centennial Wash in the southwest and
Queen Creek in the southeast.
Numerous valleys and plains including Paradise and Deer Valleys in the east and
o
Rainbow Valley and Hassayampa Plain in the west.
Mid-elevation mountain ranges along the AMA boundaries including the Vulture,
o
Hieroglyphic and New River Mountains on the north, the Mazatzal, Goldfield and
Superstition Mountains on the east, the Santan, Sacaton, South, Sierra Estrella and
Maricopa Mountains and the Buckeye Hills on the south, and the Gila Bend, Big
Horn and Belmont Mountains on the west. (Some of these features are not well
shown on the map).
The highest point in the AMA is 5,868 feet in the New River Mountains.
o
The lowest point in the AMA, 755 feet, south of Buckeye at Gillespie Dam where
o
the Gila River exits the AMA.
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8.1.2 Land Ownership in the Phoenix AMA
Land ownership, including the percentage of ownership by category, for the Phoenix AMA is
shown in Figure 8.1-2. The principal feature of land ownership in the AMA is the large proportion
of private land. A description of land ownership data sources and methods is found in Volume 1,
Appendix A. More detailed information on National Monuments and Wilderness Areas is found
in Section 8.0.4. Land ownership categories are discussed below in the order of largest to smallest
percentage in the AMA.
Private
• 43.7% of the land is private.
• Land uses include domestic, commercial and agriculture.
U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
• 18.3% of the land is federally owned and managed by the Hassayampa and Lower Sonoran
Field Offices of the Bureau of Land Management.
• The AMA includes 3,082 acres of the 21,000-acre Big Horn Wilderness, 24,453 acres of
the 31,200-acre Hummingbird Springs Wilderness, 1,830-acres of the 13,350-acre Signal
Mountain Wilderness and 11,715 acres of the 14,400-acre Sierra Estrella Wilderness. The
AMA also includes a portion of the Sonoran Desert National Monument that encompasses
two additional wilderness areas, the North and South Maricopa Mountains Wilderness
areas (See Figure 8.0-13).
• Land uses include resource conservation, recreation and grazing.
State Trust Land
• 16.0% of the land is held in trust for public schools and multiple other entities under the
State Trust Land system.
• Land uses include agriculture and grazing.
National Forest
• 10.2% of the land is federally owned and managed by the United States Forest Service
(USFS).
• Forest lands in the AMA are part of the Tonto National Forest and include 22,179 acres of
the 160,000-acre Superstition Wilderness. (see Figure 8.0-13)
• Land uses include recreation and grazing.

Indian Reservation
• 8.0% of the land is under tribal ownership as the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Salt
River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and Gila River Indian Community.
• Land uses include domestic, commercial and agriculture.
Other (Game and Fish, County and Bureau of Reclamation Lands)
• 3.6% of the land is owned and managed by the Bureau of Reclamation (USBOR) and
county or local governments.
• “Other” includes land managed by BOR for the Central Arizona Project canal and
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pumping stations as well as a number of local and regional parks. Parks include the 30,000-
acre White Tank Mountain Regional Park in the western portion of the AMA, most of the
16,000-acre South Mountain Park on the southern boundary, 19,840 Estrella Mountain
Regional Park in the southwest and the 21,099-acre McDowell Mountain Regional Park
north of Fountain Hills
• Land uses include water infrastructure and recreation.
U.S. Military
• 0.2% of the land is federally owned and managed by the U.S. Military.
• Military lands include the Luke Air Force Base in the center of the AMA near Litchfield
Park.
• Primary land use is military activity.
National Park Service
• 0.1% of land is federally owned and managed by the National Park Service as the Hohokam
Pima National Monument.
• Primary land use is resource conservation.
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8.1.3 Climate of the Phoenix AMA
Climate data from NOAA/NWS Co-op Network, Evaporation Pan and AZMET stations are
complied in Table 8.1-1 and the locations are shown on Figure 8.1-3. Figure 8.1-3 also shows
precipitation contour data from the Spatial Climate Analysis Service (SCAS) at Oregon State
University. The Phoenix AMA does not contain SNOTEL/Snowcourse stations. More detailed
information on climate is found in Section 8.0.3. A description of the climate data sources and
methods is found in Volume 1, Appendix A.
NOAA/NWS Co-op Network
• Refer to Table 8.1-1A
• There are 41 NOAA/NWS Co-op Network stations in the AMA. The average monthly
maximum temperature occurs in July at all stations and ranges between 105.8°F and 86.8°F.
The average monthly minimum temperature occurs in January or February and ranges
between 31.8°F and 60.5°F.
• Highest average seasonal rainfall occurs in the winter (January-March). For the period
of record used, the highest annual rainfall is 24.8 inches at Superior 2ENE station and the
lowest is 5.91 inches at the Tonopah 5NE station.
Evaporation Pan
• Refer to Table 8.1-1B
• There are five evaporation pan stations in the AMA. Elevation at the stations range from
1,170 feet to 1,650 feet and the corresponding annual average evaporation ranges from
74.3 inches to 117.5 inches.
AZMET
• Refer to Table 8.1-1C
• There are seven active and three inactive AZMET stations in the AMA. Elevation at the
stations range from 1,000 feet to 1,700 feet and corresponding annual average evaporation
ranges from 80.94 inches to 73.15 inches.
SCAS Precipitation Data
• See Figure 8.1-3
• Additional precipitation data shows average annual rainfall as high as 28 inches on the
AMA boundary north of Cave Creek and as low as six inches in the southwestern portion
of the AMA.
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Table 8.1-1 Climate Data for the Phoenix AMA
A. NOAA/NWS Co-op Network:
Monthly Average Temperature
Station Name Elevation RePceorriodd U osfe d Range(in F) Average Precipitation (in inches)
(in feet)
for Averages Max/Month Min/Month Winter Spring Summer Fall Annual
Alhambra 2 NE 1,142 1948-19761 90/Jul 51.2/Jan 1.43 0.71 1.93 2.78 6.85
Apache Junction 1,723 1962-19791 91.7/Jul 52.4/Jan 3.38 0.81 2.50 3.03 9.72
Apache Junction 5 NE 2,070 1971-2000 89.5/Jul 52.7/Jan 4.87 0.82 3.26 3.34 12.29
Arizona Falls 1 WNW 1,250 1948-1963 89.5/Jul 51.9/Jan 2.17 0.57 2.73 1.67 7.14
Bartlett Dam 1,650 1971-2000 89.9/Jul 53.7/Jan 5.90 1.22 4.45 4.28 15.85
Beardsley 1,270 1950-1978 104.7/Aug 40.5/Jan 2.29 1.16 1.93 1.95 7.33
Buckeye 890 1971-2000 91.3/Jul 52/Dec 2.59 0.45 2.64 2.20 7.91
Carefree 2,530 1971-2000 88.4/Jul 51.6/Jan 5.27 0.81 3.56 3.64 13.28
Cave Creek 2,123 1950-1961 88.4/Jul 50.9/Jan 3.47 1.08 3.98 2.59 11.12
Chandler 1,210 1912-1980 104.3/Jul 33.1/Jan 2.14 1.19 1.80 1.78 7.18
Chandler Heights 1,425 1948-20061 90/Jul 51.9/Jan 3.03 0.64 1.65 2.27 7.59
Deer Valley 1,257 1971-2000 90.6/Jul 52.5/Dec,Jan 2.92 0.57 2.27 2.13 7.78
Falcon Field 1,322 1948-19761 87/Jul 50.4/Jan 2.06 0.64 1.83 3.31 7.84
Fountain Hills 1,582 1971-2000 90.7/Jul 52.6/Jan 4.62 0.69 3.27 3.39 11.97
Granite Reef Dam 1,322 1893-19791 89.5/Jul 52.1/Jan 2.99 0.80 2.37 3.05 9.21
Griggs 3W 1,160 1950-1990 NA NA 2.61 1.17 1.95 1.97 7.71
Lake Pleasant 1,600 1959-1999 105.8/Jul 41.1/Feb 3.31 1.36 2.08 2.71 9.46
Laveen 3 SSE 1,115 1971-2000 92.2/Jul 52.9/Dec 2.74 0.54 2.91 2.56 8.70
Litchfield Park 1,030 1971-2000 91.5Jul 52/Dec 3.19 0.53 2.59 2.37 8.62
Marinette 1,152 1913-1964 90.6/Jul 50.2/Jan 2.27 0.68 2.53 2.39 7.87
Mesa 1,235 1971-2000 91.3/Jul 53.7/Dec 3.19 0.56 2.92 2.56 9.23
Paradise Valley 1,420 1955-1970 103.9/Jul 42.7/Jan 3.01 1.12 2.20 2.06 8.39
Phoenix City 1,098 1948-1998 92.9/Jul 54.7/Jan 3.01 0.59 2.39 2.52 8.51
Phoenix Indian School 1,120 1920-1975 103.41/Jul 31.82/Jan 2.38 1.12 2.03 2.02 7.55
Phoenix Sky Harbor 1,106 1971-2000 94.8/Jul 55.5/Dec 2.67 0.51 2.68 2.44 8.29
Phoenix South Mountain 2,650 1975-1983 98.2/Jul 45.3/Jan 3.02 1.63 1.62 1.61 7.88
Sacaton 1,285 1971-2000 90.8/Jul 50.5/Dec 2.80 0.53 2.84 2.51 8.68
Scottsdale 1,201 1968-19851 90.5/Jul 51.5/Dec 3.03 0.63 2.91 2.84 9.41
South Phoenix 1,155 1971-2000 88.2/Jul 52.5/Dec 3.10 0.58 2.73 2.54 8.95
Stewart Mountain 1,422 1971-2000 88.8/Jul 51.7/Dec 5.15 0.93 3.79 3.83 13.70
Superior 2,995 1971-2000 86.8/Jul 52/Jan 7.03 1.52 6.51 5.18 20.24
Superior 2 ENE 4,170 1974-1996 93.8/Jun 60.5/Feb 9.38 4.46 5.29 5.67 24.80
Superstition Mtn 1,962 1948-1962 91.1/Jul 54.1/Jan 3.11 0.96 4.05 2.71 10.83
Tempe 1 SE 1,152 1926-19841 89.2/Jul 50.5/Jan 2.79 0.82 2.83 2.68 9.12
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Table 8.1-1 Climate Data for the Phoenix AMA (cont)
A. NOAA/NWS Co-op Network:
Monthly Average Temperature
Station Name Elevation RePceorriodd U osfe d Range(in F) Average Precipitation (in inches)
(in feet)
for Averages Max/Month Min/Month Winter Spring Summer Fall Annual
Tempe 3 S 1,181 1905-1952 88/Jul 48.5/Jan 2.60 0.69 3.18 2.22 8.69
Tempe ASU 1,170 1971-2000 89.9/Jul 53.9/Dec 3.20 0.53 2.95 2.68 9.36
Tolleson 1E 1,020 1951-1999 NA NA 3.00 1.40 2.09 2.06 8.55
Tonopah 5 NE 1,150 1971-2000 92/Jul 51.4/Dec 2.65 0.36 1.55 1.55 5.91
Waddell 3 SSE 1,099 1952-1960 87.1/Jul 50.3/Jan 2.20 0.20 2.60 1.60 6.60
Wittmann 1,703 1923-2007 91.1/Jul 49.9/Jan 2.75 0.72 3.42 2.25 9.14
Youngtown 1,135 1971-2000 93.5/Jul 54.6/Dec 3.33 0.52 2.63 2.59 9.03
Source: WRCC, 2005a
Notes:
1Average temperature for period of record shown; average precipitation from 1971-2000
NA - not available
B. Evaporation Pan:
Period of
Elevation Avg. Annual Evap
Station Name Record Used
(in feet) (in inches)
for Averages
Bartlett Dam 1,650 1939-2005 117.54
Mesa 1,235 1896-2005 94.38
Sacaton 1,285 1908-2005 107.42
Stewart Mountain 1,422 1948-2005 106.23
Tempe ASU 1,170 1953-2005 74.29
Source: WRCC, 2005b
C. AZMET:
Elevation Period of Average Annual Reference Evaportranspiration, in
Station Name
(in feet) Record inches(Number of years to calculate averages)
Buckeye 1,000 1999 - current 80.23(9)
Desert Ridge 1,700 2002 - current 67.75(6)
1999 - 2001
Laveen 1,033 68.91(3)
(inactive)
1999 - 2003
Litchfield 1,014 80.59(4)
(inactive)
Mesa 1,202 2003 - current 78.42 (4)
Phoenix Encanto 1,099 1999 - current 72.97(9)
Phoenix Greenway 1,316 1999 - current 74.22 (9)
Queen Creek 1,410 1999 - current 76.65(9)
1998 - 1999
Scottsdale 1,539 NA
(inactive)
Waddell 1,335 1999 - current 75.71(9)
Source: AZMET, 2007
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