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Issues

Water

"Rogers Lake, Dry Lake, and Sinclair Wash are all significant contributors to groundwater recharge. The surrounding lands all have intermittent streams draining into these locations and contribute to groundwater recharge. The preservation of these lands in their natural state is extremely important to all citizens of the greater Flagstaff area. Thus, protecting the integrity of [these] lands directly impacts the quantity and quality of Flagstaff's drinking water. Development of these [lands] would affect drainage systems and impact springs and seeps such as Fishers Spring and the adjacent Woody Spring. Such activity would also adversely affect valuable wetland habitat…" [Coconino County API Petition, 2002].

It is of utmost importance to residents and visitors to Coconino County to protect our water supplies, maintain water quality, and preserve fragile wetlands by keeping key lands as natural open space, free from urban development.

If passed, the Coconino Parks and Open Space program will help accomplish these goals. Projects in this program correlate to groundwater recharge, such as Rogers Lake and Kachina Wetlands. Preservation of watershed integrity, protecting land near groundwater supplies, and protection of wetlands goes hand in hand with keeping natural lands undeveloped. Among specific projects that would accomplish these goals include Kachina Wetlands, Rogers Lake, and Old Growth Forest near Dry Lake and Naval Observatory.

The City of Flagstaff's water supply relies heavily on C-aquifer groundwater from wellfields, including those feeding 10 water wells of the Woody Mountain Wellfield. Also, five water supply wells in the Kachina area tap groundwater at a depth range of 650 to 1100 feet below the surface. These are in the vicinity of proposed wetland and open space protection projects that are part of this program.

Regarding water quality, the City of Flagstaff indicates that both inorganic and organic chemical contaminants of water can result from urban storm water runoff. When development occurs near water supplies, the incidence of these storm water runoff pollutants increases.

Preserving watershed integrity and wetlands are clear goals of the County Parks and Open Space Program. Water quality, maintaining supplies of fresh water for drinking water, and protecting wetlands are of primary concern in Coconino County. In a 2002 survey of county residents, protecting land that preserves water quality and protecting wetlands were clearly and overwhelmingly confirmed as top priorities.

Sources, and for more information:

1. City of Flagstaff Report to the Consumer on Water Quality in CityScape. May/June 2002.
2. North Central Arizona Water Demand Study, RMI, et.al. June 2002.
3. Groundwater Beneath the Coconino & San Francisco Plateaus. Errol L. Montgomery, et. al. in Coconino Plateau Hydrology Workshop proceedings, Oct. 2000.
4. Petition to Nominate State Trust Land as Suitable for Conservation Purposes, Rogers Lake Area, Coconino County, Board of Supervisors, 2002.

Wildlife

From the top of the San Francisco Peaks to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Coconino County--America's second largest county--features some of the most ecologically diverse and spectacular places on earth. Wildlife and wildlife habitats are abundant.

Coconino County residents consider protecting wildlife habitats among top priorities in a recent survey, and selection criteria from Coconino County's Parks and Recreation Department for the natural area projects target saving wildlife habitat and maintaining wildlife movement corridors as top goals.

In fact, all land protection projects in this program feature protecting wildlife, their habitats, and wildlife corridors: Rogers Lake, Old Growth Forest Near Dry Lake, Walnut Canyon Wildlife Habitat, Forested Lands on Observatory Mesa and Kachina Village Wetlands and Forest.

However, housing and commercial development threaten these same natural areas. Therefore, a vote YES for the County Parks and Open Space Program on November 5th is crucial to protect wildlife and to keep key wildlife travel corridors as natural open space before it is too late.

Walnut Canyon Habitat -- Since Walnut Canyon lands to be protected from development in this program are close to Walnut Canyon National Monument, the species checklist for the Monument include an impressive 325 different plants, such as Gambel oak, gooseberry, wolfberry, sage, yucca, Apache-plume, hop-tree, mountain mahogany and cliffrose. Approximately 120 bird species, 52 mammals, 11 reptiles, and 3 amphibian species occur in the Walnut Canyon Monument area. Bald eagles, golden eagles, peregrine falcons, northern goshawk, Mexican spotted owl, red tailed hawk, zone-tailed hawks and Cooper's hawks are some of Walnut Canyon area's special birds. Brazilian free-tailed bats, Merriam's shrew, long-tailed weasels, black bears, bobcats, mountain lions, badgers, pronghorn antelope, elk, golden-mantled ground squirrels, and mule deer are among the area's many mammals. Amphibians include the striped chorus frog and mountain treefrog.

Rogers Lake Habitat -- Just a few miles west of Walnut Canyon, "Rogers Lake is considered premiere wildlife habitat. It is an extremely important ephemeral wetland for waterfowl and wetland birds that is uncommon in Arizona. In seasons when the lake is dry, the lake bed is an important foraging site for elk and mule deer. Rogers Lake, according to the Arizona Game and Fish Department is the 'only consistent marsh/wet meadow habitat [in the area south of Flagstaff]… During late summer in dry years, it is not unusual to observe 600 elk in the lake basin. Pronghorn also utilize the dry meadow fringe of Rogers Lake as summer seasonal range.'" (in Coconino County's API Petition for Rogers Lake). Arizona Game and Fish also reports Merriam's turkeys, Albert squirrels, porcupines, striped and spotted skunks, gray foxes and bobcats. Many neotropical birds probably use the Rogers Lake during migration.

All of the above-mentioned projects to be protected with your YES vote in this ballot measure feature Rocky Mountain elk. It may be impossible to live in another Southwest community where majestic elk are living and migrating through your backyard in the numbers and as frequently as they do here.

Sources, and for more information:

1. Coconino County Parks and Open Space Factbook. 2002.
2. Walnut Canyon Area API Petition, 2002.
3. Rogers Lake Area API Petition, 2002.
4. Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus elaphus) Density, Greater Grand Canyon Watershed Analysis, Grand Canyon Trust. Feb. 2001.

Forests

The ponderosa pine forest that stretches from Flagstaff to the White Mountains in eastern Arizona is the largest such ponderosa pine forest on the continent. Interspersed with Gambel oak and New Mexico locust at the lower elevations, this forest harbors Abert's squirrel, mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, chipmunks, and voles. Birds commonly seen in these forests include brown creepers, Stellar's jays, white and red-breasted nuthatches, red-shafted flickers, and the brilliantly colored western tanager, a migrant all the way from the tropics.

Coconino County residents rank protecting such forest lands as a critical, high-priority goal. A YES vote on this program will create definite, on-the-ground progress towards accomplishing this. For example, undeveloped lands across Observatory Mesa and old growth forest stands near Dry Lake and the Naval Observatory form an important natural forest buffer in a wide, sweeping arc of priority forested sections of land west and southwest of Flagstaff. This project would provide critical funding for acquiring these forest lands, plus a basis for matching funds. These forests can then remain undeveloped, continue to serve as important corridors for wildlife movement, and enhance opportunities for residents to access the outdoors near where we live. Similarly, forested lands adjacent to the community of Kachina Village and Walnut Canyon lands would be protected as part of this program.

Sources, and for more information:

1. Canyons, Cultures and Environmental Change, An Introduction to the Land Use History of the Colorado Plateau. http://www.cpluhna.nau.edu/ Thomas Sisk, et. al., editors. 2002.
2. Coconino County Parks and Open Space Factbook. 2002.

Paid for by Our Land, Water, Wildlife and Parks Commitee