From the Proceedings of the 1980 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona - Nevada Academy of Science - April 11-12, 1980, Las Vegas, Nevada

From the Proceedings of the 1980 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona - Nevada Academy of Science - April 11-12, 1980, Las Vegas, Nevada / The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in recognition of the need to identify the mechanisms and significance of salinity loading from arid ephemeral drainages in the Lower Colorado River Basin, sponsored this reconnaissance effort. The principal project objectives were to sample the water quality of flash flood events over a two year period in selected drainage basins and relate field data to the probable type and magnitude of salinity loading that ungaged arid basins could contribute to the Colorado River. Remote water samplers were placed in four tributary basins along the north shore of Lake Mead. Calculated average TDS values for flows ranged from 1,270 to 2,000 mg/l. Water was generally a calcium sulfate type. TDS generally increased down -channel during an event. Estimates of peak discharges and volumes showed that the largest events occurred in the two largest drainage basins. Results of analyses based on a series of conservative assumptions showed that 2,700 and 1,200 metric tons of salt entered Lake Mead from the study area in 1978 and 1979, respectively. This influx of salt would have increased the total dissolved solids (TDS) of the Colorado River at Hoover Dam by .08 mg/l in 1978 and .04 mg/l in 1979. Extrapolation of generalized study results to include similar drainage basins associated with both Lake Mead and Lake Mohave showed that a total annual increase in TDS of .50 mg/l could be attributed to ephemeral basin runoff.

From the Proceedings of the 1980 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona - Nevada Academy of Science - April 11-12, 1980, Las Vegas, Nevada

From the Proceedings of the 1979 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona - Nevada Academy of Science - April 13,1979, Tempe, Arizona / The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 was written with the intent of fostering a spirit of harmony in the day to day operations of Federal agencies with the environmental concerns voiced by the general populace. To examine how Federal agencies have assimilated E.I.S. procedures and guidelines a typical report was reviewed. In general, compliance with environmental law and procedural guidelines was found to be adequate. In some ways, particularly in assessment of Cultural Resource Impact, the statement was exceptional in its evaluation. However, the sections of the report detailing the benefits and costs of the alternatives was not up to the standards expected in an E.I.S. Because the benefits and costs were not calculated in consistent units and the no action alternative was not adequately examined, the entire alternatives section is called to question. By re-evaluating the data provided in the E.I.S. in consistent units, it was found that the alternative selected had neither the highest benefit/ cost ratio nor the lowest environmental impact. It is concluded that alternatives should be as fully evaluated as the project itself in order to integrate environmental considerations into the overall planning process.

From the Proceedings of the 1979 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona - Nevada Academy of Science - April 13,1979, Tempe, Arizona

From the Proceedings of the 1979 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona - Nevada Academy of Science - April 13,1979, Tempe, Arizona / The Central Arizona Project (CAP), presently under construction, will convey Arizona's remaining entitlement of Colorado River water to three central Arizona counties. As a result of the recently completed CAP Real-Time Operations Study, a concept of operation has been developed. The concept of operations defines three types of operation beginning with an initial manned operation in 1985, a transition operation, and a permanent operation using a computer assisted remote control system. Under the permanent operation, computer models will be run in advance to define weekly and daily pumping plant and check gate schedules.

Complete issue of the Proceedings of the 1979 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona - Nevada Academy of Science - April 13,1979, Tempe, Arizona

From the Proceedings of the 1980 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona - Nevada Academy of Science - April 11-12, 1980, Las Vegas, Nevada / Major events during the summer of 1974 led to the beginning of a new, progressive program of water resources management for the City of Tucson. Critical supply shortages during the 1974 peak demand period brought into sharp community focus the need to reassess the previously existing philosophy of meeting continually increasing demand for water with extensive capital construction. An analysis of the impacts resultant from unmanaged peak demands, increased water level declines, potential land surface subsidence, projected increased operational costs and changes in water quality led staff and consultants to formulate and recommend the "Beat the Peak" program. A new philosophy on basin -wide groundwater withdrawals was implemented along with additional programs designed to evaluate the effect of our continued dependence on local groundwater sources. The results of this new management approach have been impressive. Per capita water consumption has been voluntarily reduced, total groundwater pumpage has been reduced and the potential for land surface subsidence is being actively evaluated resulting in direct benefits to Tucson Water and the customers it serves.

From the Proceedings of the 1980 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona - Nevada Academy of Science - April 11-12, 1980, Las Vegas, Nevada / In May, 1979, the City of Tucson entered into contractual agreements with three private water companies to ensure 100 year adequacy and to manage scarce water resources within a large area northwest of Tucson. These agreements implemented the Northwest Area Water Plan. The Northwest Area Water Plan provides a mechanism by which local and imported water sources can be cooperatively managed by the City of Tucson and local private water companies within the Northwest Water Service Area. This plan has been developed to complement agreements for water service between the City of Tucson and private water companies and is an integral part of those agreements. The purpose of this plan is to identify those facilities and associated costs which provide, on a regional basis, a permanent, cost-effective water supply to new customers within the Northwest Water Service Area. The basic plan approach is to utilize existing local groundwater to the fullest extent possible while maintaining local water tables at their present levels. This will be accomplished through the planning, design, and construction of an import water supply system to meet the base demands of customers within the Northwest Water Service Area and the conjunctive management of local well capacity and storage reservoirs to meet the variable peak demands and fire flow requirements.

From the Proceedings of the 1980 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona - Nevada Academy of Science - April 11-12, 1980, Las Vegas, Nevada