Hjalmarson's Position Paper

WINN HJALMARSON'S POSITION PAPER ON THE VERDE RIVER HEADWATERS

Dear Citizens,

Several concerned citizens of the Verde Valley have asked for my thoughts on the hydrology of the Verde River watershed and recent proposals for large-scale pumping of ground water in the upper Verde River headwaters. As a retired hydrologist and resident of the Verde Valley, my comments are a blend of technically based insights and deep feelings about the nature of the water resource and the environment. Many of us were attracted to the area because of the climate and the beautiful scenery. Many would agree with Senator John McCain who recently said the Sedona area is the most beautiful on earth. My personal feelings were formed as a child at the magnificent view of the Verde Valley from the rim of Mingus Mountain where my family cabin has been located since 1923.

I believe we are loving the Verde River watershed to death. Our intentions may be good, but the results of our urban development can be fatal to the environment and our present life style. Our society applies many economic and environmental forces that often are at odds and at times ignorant of the welfare of the land. 

My personal philosophy is  similar to Yavapai County Supervisor Chip Davis' when he recently stated that "...every region should grow to their natural resources capability without injuring others, or injuring the one God made that can't speak for itself: the natural resources." While we earn a living and raise our families we also need to protect the natural things that attracted us to the area. There are several growing communities in the watershed with projected  water shortages. Some of these shortages have been blamed on the recent rare drought. As a hydrologist in the southwest for the past 40 years however, my crystal ball shows serious water shortages developing under normal weather conditions. I feel the present drought is simply a warning of our impending  water problems.

I foresee some uncomfortable economic impacts resulting from water shortages in Yavapai County but my greatest personal concern is an irreversible impact on the base flow of the Verde River. The Verde River is the last semi-arid perennial river in the United States. The hydrology of the source waters of the Verde River is unique because it is rare to have alluvial basins create the headwaters of a large perennial river. Typically the headwaters of large rivers begin in mountains. The Verde River begins in a spring-fed canyon near the outlets of Big and Little Chino Valleys that are large alluvial basins (aquifers). Ground waters and surface waters are, in fact, interconnected. Ground water discharge from the Big Chino Valley aquifer sustains baseflow in the Verde River. The base flow is critical for sustaining aquatic and riparian ecosystems along the river. Wildlife, livestock, and man's domestic (irrigation and recreational) water use depends on the base flow of the Verde. Both the ground water and surface water resources of the watershed are being used up at a rapid rate as population growth continues.

The key to providing development with a sustained water supply is to not exploit the water resource beyond the amount of water that is recharged on a regular basis. Where there is a lot of water stored in the ground it is easy here in Arizona to use this stored water for development. This exploitation of ground water in aquifers that has been in storage for thousands of years is occurring in Yavapai County at an alarming rate. In other words, the water in storage is being used up and we are on a collision course toward a serious water shortage. The problem has occurred because the ground water development has progressed without legal restraint, since exploitation of this nature has not been regulated by Arizona law.

Within the ground water development community, the idea persists that if one can estimate the recharge to a ground water system, one then can determine the size of a sustainable development. The idea that water can be extracted from storage to sustain development for a finite period of time also persists and is especially popular with large land developers. Both of these ideas are wrong for different reasons. First, capture of ground water is independent of the recharge because capture depends on the dynamic response of the aquifer system to the development. Second, storage is always used up at a greater rate than anticipated because of exploding population growth. This problem exists because of human greed and because ground water systems are dynamic and complex. After all, you can't see the water in the aquifers.

Warnings of this over use of the ground water supply in Little Chino Valley have been ignored for many years. For example, in the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation 1946 Chino Valley Project, Project Planning Report No. 3-8b.9-0,115p. it is stated "It appears that development has progressed in Chino Valley to a point where the replenishment ability of the basin has been exceeded." I do not understand how such warnings have been ignored by responsible citizens. Also, I'm concerned that the source waters of the Verde River will be used to supplement the irresponsible overuse of ground water in the Prescott Active Manage Area.

Although the Big Chino basin is a large and productive aquifer, it is not the total volume of water, but the depth of the water table that is important. If the water table of the Big Chino aquifer is lowered near its outlet by as little as 20 feet, the river will dry up at the very beginning (for at least 25 miles), and the ripple effect of lost base flow will propagate all the way downstream through existing communities in Verde Valley and Phoenix, and the hundreds of miles of riparian habitat in between. In other words, every downstream reach of the 184 miles of the Verde River (and the Salt River Valley) will be impacted, which in this case includes more than half the population of Arizona. Thus, the looming water crisis in the Verde headwaters is a far-reaching regional problem and not simply a local issue.

The base flow of the Verde River is especially vulnerable to urban development by having alluvial basins instead of mountains at the headwaters. Mountains are fairly incompatible with high-density development but the Big and Little Chino Valleys are susceptible to considerable development. In addition, mountains are often public land and thereby largely protected from development. In the upper Verde Watershed there is plenty of private land within and surrounding Big and Little Chino Valleys.

It is the valleys that are vulnerable because they are flat and easily developed and there is an easily tapped water source usually within a few  hundred feet below the land surface. It is clear to me, a retired U.S. Geological Service hydrologist and registered professional engineer, that the population growth and associated urban water use is threatening the base flow of the Verde River.

The base flow of the Verde River is important to many living things in the area and should be managed for the long-term protection and enhancement of the river and associated riparian and aquatic ecosystem. I believe we should hold any proposed development to a high standard to protect our water resources and ecosystems. We citizens of the Verde River watershed need to face reality and address our growth related issues before we destroy the environment that attracted us to this beautiful semiarid land. We are headed toward long and costly legal battles between all water users in the Verde Watershed including the Salt River Project, Prescott, Camp Verde and so forth.

Best regards,

Win Hjalmarson

Copyright © 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Verde River Citizens Alliance.  All Rights Reserved.

Your webmaster can be contacted at josephspa@gmail.com. If you find errors on the site or have suggestions, please contact me at the above e-mail address.

 Join today!