Priority Projects for the Altar Valley Watershed Plan

To collectively move toward desired conditions and address major, complex issues in the Altar Valley, the Watershed Working Group has identified top-priority projects for implementation. These projects cannot be completed by one entity; rather, they require cooperation and resources from multiple partners to accomplish.

The projects for the 2022 Watershed Plan were identified through an initial inventory of potential ideas, information gathering and refinement through conversations with potential project leaders, and prioritization by Technical Teams of the Watershed Working Group.  The goal of prioritization was not to require implementation but to allow partners to pursue projects for which funding opportunities arise.

The AVCA, with support from The Quiet Creek, has created a virtual map of the priority projects.

The following are brief descriptions of each project identified as high priority by the Watershed Working Group.  The titles of each project contain links to the full project descriptions.

INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS

Duval Property Pond Modifications (Duval Pond): Breaches (2) of an existing berm, construction of a diversion berm, and modifications to an existing set of excavated ponds to retain additional stormwater runoff.

Legunita Tank-Outlet Modifications: Modification of the outlet discharge flow path from an existing earthen agricultural (stock) tank to 1.) promote beneficial use of the discharge from the tank by directing the flow to a region proposed for mesquite eradication/grassland restoration, 2.) improve the stabilization of the tank outlet, 3.) restore the existing eroded channel that is currently fed by the tank outlet discharge, and 4.) convert incised channel flow to shallow sheet flow

Lievres Tank:  Erosion Mitigation Diversion Berm: Construction of an earthen berm to: 1.) mitigate headcut erosion near an existing road and 2.) increase runoff inflows to the Lievres Tank within the King’s Anvil Ranch

Road Treatments on Pima County Lands:  Strategic maintenance and expansion of work on unpaved rural roads on Pima County lands in the Altar Valley (building on an assessment by Pima County) and learning about rural road design and maintenance learned through workshops.

CHANNEL AND ARROYO RESTORATION

Altar Wash–Channel Meander Erosion Mitigation Sites 2 & 3: Mitigation to prevent further erosion along the eastern bank of Altar Wash within the Palo Alto Ranch.

Altar Wash – Floodplain Enhancement: Minor grading and structures intended to increase floodplain inundation and stream length within the incised corridor of the Altar Wash.

Arivaca Wash Floodplain Restoration: Construction of stabilized earthen berms to induce floodplain flow and promote re-connection of the watercourse to the adjacent floodplain

Western Altar Wash: increasing water infiltration and reducing erosion: Use principles/lessons learned to maintain the existing structures and implement additional treatments between the Elk/LD uplands and the connection with the Altar Wash Mainstem border.

Duval Site – Channel Meander Erosion Mitigation: Mitigation to prevent further meander erosion at the south end of the Duval site, including grading and erosion protection upstream (east) of the steep erosion cut bank to re-direct or stabilize flow paths draining towards the meander.

BANWR Roundhill Area Plug and Spread Treatment:  Implement the treatment strategy for Roundhill prescribed by Bill Zeedyk, BANWR staff, and AVCA in 2016.  This project is already underway.

FIRE MANAGEMENT

Altar Valley Fire Operations Plan:  Create and continue updating a plan for coordinating fire management response to natural and human-caused ignitions.  Note: This project is already in progress.  The AVCA and Fire Coordination Group have developed a contact list of fire managers and land owners/permittees in the Altar Valley as well as drafted a web application that shows values at risk, fire management resources such as waters and staging areas, and other key information.  This project is already underway.

Prescribed fire “Pipeline”:  Build from the Community Wildfire Protection Plans, ranch prescribed burn plans, and Fire Operations Plan to identify areas on which to implement prescribed fire if/when opportunities arise.

IMPROVEMENTS FOR WILDLIFE

Well Improvements for Wildlife on the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge:  Update existing wells, functioning and nonfunctioning, with solar pumps, storage tanks, and polyethylene tubing or wildlife drinkers to provide water to wildlife. Note: This project is already being implemented.  The BANWR has improved 2 wells to date through a cooperative agreement with the AVCA.  This project is already underway.

Assessment of wildlife corridors and fencing projects: Identify and pursue opportunities to create corridors through roads, fencing, and other infrastructure to improve permeability for wildlife by installing wildlife-friendly fencing or removing barriers, including those associated with Highway 86 and the international border fence.

Small-game habitat enhancement in the northern Altar Valley:  Assess and pursue opportunities to enhance small-game habitat on the Buckelew, Kings 98, and City of Tucson lands in the northern area of the Altar Valley.  This includes improving Charlie’s pond for waterfowl and Buckelew Farm for grain forage.  Enhancements will benefit doves, migratory waterfowl, and other small game species in this complex to increase hunting opportunities.

Wildlife Waters assessment and enhancements:  Assess current wildlife waters (drawing upon existing data from multiple sources), identify where water sources may be enhanced for wildlife use, and implement projects to make important connections between waters.  Note: This project is in progress.  Potential surface waters for improvement were identified through part of the 2021 Chiricahua Leopard Frog assessment by AVCA and Whitney Noel.  Two specific improvements are being planned on City of Tucson land and the Santa Margarita Ranch.

Baboquivari Fence Improvements:  Make critical improvements to fences in the Baboquivari mountains to facilitate wildlife access and livestock management.  This project is already underway.

REHABILITATION OF HISTORIC STRUCTURES

Montano Camp building assessment and/or rehabilitation:  Evaluate the site’s current conditions to understand and prioritize structural rehabilitation of the ranch house and surrounding grounds and ranching related features. Rehabilitation of this site should include measures to make the building habitable and will promote land and cultural resource stewardship by future users. Special attention should be given to the conservation of murals in the ranch house done by notable artists Buckeye Blake and David Powell. A master plan for use of the buildings and grounds may be needed.

Old Hayhook structure rehabilitation:  Evaluate the site’s current conditions to understand and prioritize structural rehabilitation of the main ranch house in the Old Hayhook Ranch Complex. Rehabilitation of this site should include measures to make the building habitable or temporarily habitable (e.g. primitive amenities) and will promote land and cultural resource stewardship by future users, in turn mitigating vandalism.

RESTORATION OF FORMER AGRICULTURAL SITES

Moyza Agricultural Field Restoration:  Rehabilitation of a fallow, unused agricultural field on Rancho Seco.  The Moyza field at the Santa Lucia headquarters on Rancho Seco was dryland-farmed (non-irrigated) for many years, but has been left fallow for the past five to ten years.  As a result, introduced Salsola iberica (tumbleweed) and both native and introduced Amaranthus spp. (pigweed) have taken over the entire field.  This has created a potential fire hazard for nearby buildings and ranching facilities, as well as reduced potential for native plants to establish on the field.

REVEGETATION OF UPLANDS

Altar Valley Brush Treatment Corridor:  Connect brush treatments on the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, Santa Margarita Ranch, Elkhorn Ranch, and/or Anvil Ranch to enhance native grasslands and create a corridor for wildlife.  If possible, this will involve new treatments and maintaining recent treatments, including:

• Maintenance of BANWR mastication treatments
• Maintenance of ADEQ herbicide treatments
• Additional treatments on Kings Anvil Ranch
• Grubbing on the Santa Margarita Ranch
• Treatments in Schaeffer Canyon, Sabino Wash, and Thomas Canyon
• Additional brush control to connect treated areas

This project is already underway.

Analysis of brush treatment results:  Examine the efficacy between mechanical (grubbing and mastication), prescribed fire, and herbicide application (aerial and backpack) brush treatments for meeting woody cover goals in Altar Valley. Determine the response to treatment as they may differ depending on site-level ecological sites/states, soil types, treatment timing, and pre- and post-treatment weather (or possibly climate for the older treatments) conditions. This project is currently being conducted as part of a study by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) to analyze the efficacy of treatments of invasive woody species throughout the state.  AGFD is monitoring the ADEQ herbicide treatment and the Santa Margarita grubbing treatment, and initial results will be available in 2022.  This project is already underway.

Ecosystem restoration in the Altar Valley:  Leveraging key ecological processes to enhance the benefits of rock detention structures:    This work will focus on intensive, systematic placement of restorative rock detention structures such as one-rock dams in drainages and targeted uplands, and couple them with additional treatments aimed to leverage three key ecological processes we hypothesize mediate vegetation and ecosystem responses. These processes are linked to seed supply of native plants such as bunchgrasses and herbaceous species, herbivory by medium- to large-sized grazers, and abundances of small seed predators such as ants and rodents, all of which can have major impacts on vegetation establishment and growth in desert grassland ecosystems. We will work across a broad sample of priority sub-basins selected for treatments based on a range of criteria, and compare responses to a set of similar paired sub-basins selected as controls. Our work will include experimental coupling of rock and other erosion control structures with as many as three additional treatments applied in a crossover framework. These treatments will seed native grasses and forbs (seeding), protect newly established vegetation from grazers (localized fencing), and augment densities of small predators that consume small seed predators and herbivores thus reducing their abundances (predator enhancement) and initiating trophic cascades that promote vegetation responses.

Lower Altar Valley range research for enhanced forage production:  Follow up on ecological inventory and rangeland health assessments conducted in 2018.  Perform similarity indices on northeast quadrant with the Rangeland Health Assessment, trend and production data.  Install small exclosures to monitor grazed vs. ungrazed conditions in ecological sites representing desired conditions, ecologically functional conditions and areas that have crossed thresholds into other ecological states.  Determine how current and past grazing practices and current climatic changes may have influenced plant communities on ecological sites.  Use this information to inform appropriate future livestock management.

RIPARIAN/WETLAND ENHANCEMENT

La Osa Wells Riparian Project:  Create a perennial water source stocked with Chiricahua leopard frog; treat arroyos for enhanced watershed function; clear brush for improved wildlife habitat. Note: This project is being implemented.  Equipment has been purchased for installing the pond, the terrain has been modified to accommodate future water flows and vehicular access, and initial wildlife inventories have been conducted. This project is already underway.

STEWARDSHIP, ACCESS, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Recreation outreach to protect cultural resource sites:  Conduct an outreach campaign to minimize recreational impacts on cultural resources.  The primary activity would be constructing and installing interpretive materials in cooperation with landowners and monitoring the condition of materials and cultural resources at the sites.

Diamond Bell Stewardship and Community Engagement:  Community engagement to increase stewardship and understanding of the Altar Valley; continued work on dumping and wood cutting.

Arivaca Creek Enhancements and Sub-Watershed Planning:  With the community, create a sub-watershed plan that could include the following components: addressing infrastructure issues, restoring historic cienegas, enhancing sacaton areas, arroyo treatments, and communicating local town history.

Oral Histories of Land Management and Use in the Altar Valley:  Systematically document and synthesize information from tribal communities, residents, managers, and researchers of the Altar Valley about the past management history.

Abandoned Mine Remediation on Rancho Seco:  Assess needs for closure and treatment of abandoned mines on Rancho Seco.  Close abandoned mine entrances on the Rancho Seco to mitigate risks to people and wildlife.  Objectives include identifying mine entrances that pose human safety risks, assessing sensitive species that occupy the abandoned mines, filling, blocking, and signing the entrances as appropriate, and conducting any rehabilitation work needed to maintain site stability and productivity.