Name of the Project
Altar Valley Watershed Plan
Funding Sources
Bureau of Reclamation WaterSmart Program and Pima County Regional Flood Control District
Date
2019-2022
Description of the Project
To view the landing page for the Altar Valley Watershed Plan, please click here. That landing page is regularly updated as the Plan adapts and evolves, whereas this page primarily reflects the events that occurred between 2019-2022 as Version 1 of the Plan was developed.
The Altar Valley Conservation Alliance (AVCA) supports stewardship projects that enhance grassland production and diversity, and improve watershed function by increasing water infiltration, enhancing soil stability, and promoting native vegetation diversity and productivity. In 2019, AVCA partners began the development of a Watershed Restoration Plan to guide stewardship and projects in the valley, and open doors to new funding sources and partnerships. The project was funded by a 2-year grant (extended to 3 years due to Covid-19) from the US Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART program, awarded to the Altar Valley Conservation Alliance and with funding from the Pima County Regional Flood Control District. The plan describes stewardship practices and tools and a series of high-priority projects that maximize positive impacts on the land and in the community. Most projects will address two major themes: 1) Hydrology issues including channel incision of the Altar Wash mainstem and upland tributaries; and 2) Vegetation issues related to brush encroachment from mesquite and other woody species.
The purpose of the restoration plan is to: clarify shared goals, determine the best stewardship practices to achieve those goals, describe where and how to deploy these practices, and build a strong foundation from which to seek appropriate project partners and funding. The plan is an accessible resource that supports efforts by those living and working in the Valley. It is non-binding and is designed to be available to willing landowners and managers. More specifically, the plan:
• Provides a clear, unified source of guidance to collaborative parties, focused on shared goals
• Devises solutions to complex problems in the Altar Valley, and promote continuance of effective practices
• Creates a “toolbox” of information and resources on stewardship practices, permitting, monitoring, and other topics
• Identifies and prioritizes restoration projects important to accomplish across the valley over the next 25 years
• Includes conceptual plans for potential projects
Recommended stewardship practices include: brush removal using various methods, prescribed fire, managed grazing, erosion control and floodplain enhancement structures, water harvesting from ranch roads, and more.
Process
In 2019, partners of the AVCA began developing the Plan to guide stewardship and identify priority conservation projects in the Valley, and through this process open doors to new funding sources and partnerships. The project was funded by a three-year grant from the US Bureau of Reclamation’s (BOR) WaterSMART program, awarded to the AVCA and matched by the Pima County Regional Flood Control District (PCRFCD). The Plan was developed by the Watershed Working Group (WWG), a broad group of individuals, organizations and agencies that had worked together for years on collaborative issues. To write the plan, the WWG formed Technical Teams to focus on four major topics of interest: Vegetation, Hydrology and Erosion, Community Resources, and Wildlife. The planning process was facilitated by Southwest Decision Resources (SDR), an independent firm that previously supported collaboration in the Altar Valley for many years. The conceptual project plans were supported by the engineering firm JE Fuller Hydrology & Geomorphology, Inc. (JE Fuller), and mapping and geospatial analysis was provided by The Quiet Creek Corporation (Quiet Creek). The AVCA convened the WWG, engaging local landowners, agencies, non-profit organizations, and university scientists in the development of this plan.
Partners
The plan was developed by a collaborative Watershed Working Group (WWG), a broad group of individuals, organizations, agencies, and technical teams focused on Vegetation, Hydrology and Erosion, Community Resources, and Wildlife. The planning process was facilitated by Southwest Decision Resources, an independent firm that has supported collaboration in the Altar Valley for many years. The hydrology conceptual project plans were written by the engineering firm JE Fuller Hydrology and Geomorphology, and mapping and geospatial analysis was provided by The Quiet Creek. Project staff engaged landowners and/or managers in discussion of goals and projects and sought their involvement as willing landowners. The Plan is designed to be updated regularly and reflect the needs of the Altar Valley.
Partners involved in the Watershed Working Group include the Altar Valley Conservation Alliance, Archaeology Southwest, Arizona Antelope Foundation, Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Arizona Land and Water Trust, Arizona State Land Department, BKW Farms, Border Patrol, Bureau of Land Management, Desert Archeology, Diamond Bell Neighborhood Organization, EcoPlan Associates, Elkhorn Ranch, Forest Service, Friends of the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, JE Fuller Hydrology & Geomorphology, Inc., King’s Anvil Ranch, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Pima County – Regional Flood Control District, Pima County – Office of Sustainability and Conservation, Pima County – Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation, Quiet Creek, private citizens, Robinett Rangeland Resources, San Xavier District, Santa Rita Experimental Ranch, Southern Arizona Quail Forever, Southwest Decision Resources, The Nature Conservancy, Tohono O’odham Nation, University of Arizona, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, USDA – Agricultural Research Center, USDA – Agricultural Research Service – Southwest Watershed Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, USFWS – Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, Watershed Management Group, and various individuals who live and work in the Altar Valley.
Products Created
Altar Valley Watershed Plan (Version 1, March 2022)
Altar Valley Watershed Toolbox – An interactive, virtual interface that contains literature, maps, websites, graphics, and other materials that describe and support the best available science and known best management practices directly relevant to major management issues in the Altar Valley.
Descriptions of watershed issues and current conditions – An assessment of the land management issues relevant to all work across the watershed, including land ownership, wildlife corridors, climate and drought, and more.
Goals, Desired Conditions, and Management Strategies – Guiding principles for managing important resources to move toward desired conditions in the Valley.
High-priority collaborative projects – Descriptions, concept plans, and maps for each of the projects identified as high-priority by Altar Valley partners.