Arroyo

              i
Washes
and arroyos cut or
carve patterns into desert
surfaces and are as much a
natural form of the Arizona
landscape as serrated mountains.
Meandering over much of the
desert, their crevices help make up
the texture and shape of desert
lands. Indeed, even in developed
and urbanized desert areas, washes
and arroyos often remain a con-spicuous
feature, a natural remnant
within the urban fabric.
In the past, however, urban
washes were little valued; in fact, they
were often perceived to be an urban
nuisance. Washes gouged land that
would otherwise be suited for the ac-
Many washesfiowfrom desert into urban areas. (Photo: GeorgeAndrejko, Arizona Game & Fish Dept.)
Often Neglected, Urban Washes Now Seen as
Attractive Resource
couterments of urbanization -
roads, businesses and dwellings.
Further, they brought floods that
threatened life and property. Land
adjacent to urban drainage-ways
therefore was thought to have little
land-use value. Such areas acted as
barriers to urban growth and
development.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH CENTER . THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
I
V ARROYO
Vol. 5 No. 2 June 1991
Despite their problems, washes in
urban areas served purposes that
were perceived to be useful and prac-tical,
and for this they were ap-preciated.
They acted as conduits to
drain flood waters. They provided a
source of sand and gravel and loca-tions
to dump unwanted materials
and trash. Then, as is frequently true
now, the practical benefits of preserv-ing
the natural conditions of washes
were not readily recognized. An es-thetics
of urban washes had not
evolved.
The Value of Urban Washes
Wash"
is a term that defies
precise definition. Generally
a wash is an ephemeral
stream; i.e., a stream without a con-tinual
flow. Some rather large
ephemeral streams, however, such as
the Santa Cruz or the Salt, are termed
rivers. Size therefore determines the
river designation, although in most
other respects such rivers are identi-cal
to washes. Watercourse is a more
inclusive term.
Increasingly washes are being
recognized as a valuable resource to
benefit the urban setting. The environ-mental
ethic that has emerged rela-tively
recently has encouraged a per-ception
of urban washes as a natural
form to be preserved, protected, and,
when necessary, restored. The occur-rence
of washes within an urban area
provides various benefits.
An obvious benefit is that washes
have the potential to provide city
dwellers with a touch of nature. By of-fering
a valued intrusion of natural
habitat into urbanized areas, washes
clearly contribute to the greening of
the city. A natural wash in an urban
setting helps demonstrate the premise
that cities, especially western U.S.
cities, have the resources to creatively
blend natural and urban features to
enrich the lives of those who live there.
As a proponent of this view,
William W. Shaw of the University of
Arizona's School of Renewable
Natural Resources studied the occur-rence
of wildlife habitat within the
Tucson arca. He argues that wildlife
is an important urban concern. In a
sense, therefore, elected officials,
planners, and developers are wildlife
managers in metropolitan areas.
Their actions affect the preservation
and occurrence of wildlife within the
city.
Shaw inventoried habitats remain-ing
within the Tucson area to deter-mine
their viability to support wildlife.
He indicates that the most sensitive
habitats occur in association with
Tucson's natural drainage system, its
washes. In non-degraded areas, the
network of washes provides an inter-connected
system of open spaces and
supports native plant communities.
This benefits such wildlife as quail,
roadrunners, javelina, and coyotes
that are able to live in close proximity
to humans. Other Arizona urban
areas may not share the same condi-tions.
The main premise however is
generally relevant: washes are often a
preserve for desert flora and fauna
within a city.
Related to the environmental
benefits offered by urban washes are
the recreational advantages. For ex-ample,
washes form an inter-connecting
system of drainageways
spread over an extended area. Their
banks or channel beds therefore form
a natural pathway for walking, jogging
or hiking.
A city gains economic advantages
with such environmental and recrea-tional
features. For example, studies
demonstrate that property values in-crease
in areas in proximity to recrea-tional
amenities such as hiking trails.
Further, surveys have indicated that a
prime factor influencing businesses to
locate in Arizona is the availability of
open spaces and abundant outdoor
recreational opportunities. Urban
washes can thus be an economic
asset.
Washes can also be a natural
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form to guide the growth and devel-opment
of a settlement or city. For ex-ample,
native people who lived in this
arid region often located their settle-ments
along river banks. Here a reli-able
source of water was available in a
pleasant environment.
Arriving well after the original in-habitants,
some city planners still
share their interest in washes as a
focal point for development. Often
prompting this interest is a dissatisfac-tion
with the grid pattern of develop-ment
common to most western cities.
This development is often faulted as a
synthetic overlay that ignores the
natural forms and conditions abun-dantly,
and often dramatically present
in the West.
Some planners argue that the
lines and patterns created by washes
could be a natural form to guide city
planning. As a low point of a water-shed,
washes reflect the land forms of
an entire area and set a natural pat-tern
for organizing urban develop-ment.
The beauty and appeal of a city
might well be enhanced if such
projects as roads and housing were
designed to be compatible with the
cut and shape of area washes. The in-tegration
of washes into urban design
is an intriguing but little practiced
concept.
Urbanization and Washes
Previously,
in areas that arc now
Tucson and Phoenix, virgin
washes meandered through pris-tine
desert. Various human activities,
however, wrought major changes to
wash arcas, often despoiling their
natural conditions. The land was
grazed, and trees were cut. Settle-ments
expanded into towns and cities,
with desert lands converted to urban
uses. Groundwater tables dropped be-cause
of increased pumping to sup-port
a growing population.
As urban conditions intensified
other situations developed that fur-ther
contributed to the degradation of
washes. For example, urban develop-ment
increased the extent of imper-vious
surfaces. Instead of percolating
into the subsurface, rain now accumu-lates
and runs off streets, sidewalks,
parking lots and buildings and flows
into washes. In an urbanized area,
runoff is estimated to be four times
that of a comparable undeveloped
desert area. The drainage from the in-creased
runoff that concentrates in
rivers and washes accelerates the
quantity and velocity of the flow on
downstream reaches. Channels en-large
becoming deeper and wider,
and damage from erosion becomes a
greater threat.
Although damaging to many
washes, the increased flow from
urban surfaces actually benefits
others. A comparison of photographs
taken during different time periods
demonstrates that certain washes
have recently experienced increased
size and density of vegetative growth.
This new growth includes paio verdes,
mesquites, and acacias. Contrary to
the usual state of affairs, this is an ex-ample
of an urban condition benefit-ing
a natural habitat. Still hurting,
however, are stands of deciduous
trees such as cottonwoods. These
trees rely on the watertable which has
been dropping, despite the increased
flows.
Along with the volume of water
that flows off urban surfaces into
washes, the quality of that water is
also a concern, one that will need to
be increasingly reckoned with.
Washes in urban areas receive water
carrying varying degrees of nonpoint
source (NPS) pollution. This is a type
of pollution not readily identified with
a particular source.
Rainfall flowing over urban sur-faces
- streets, parking lots,
landscaped areas, industrial sites -
picks up various NPS constituents.
These include sediments and debris
from worn and weathered pavements
and buildings; heavy metals and inor-ganic
chemicals from transportation
activities arid building materials; and
nutrients from fertilizers used on
lawns and landscape vegetation.
Concerned about the quality of
urban runoff, the Environmental
Protection Agency has recently
proposed rules and regulations for
stormwater discharge. In effect, water
quality standards are to be set for
runoff into urban washes. Cities of a
certain size will need to obtain a Na-tional
Pollutant Discharge Elimina-tion
System (NPDES) permit for
stormwater discharge by 1992.
Authorized under the federal Clean
Water Act, the NPDES program in-tends
to control or eliminate the dis-charge
of stormwater runoff pollu-tants
to waterways.
San ildefonso bird design
The Arizona Department of En-vironmental
Quality is presently
developing the stormwater standards.
Since no specific stormwater stand-ards
exist, surface water standards are
expected to become the basis for the
NPDES permit. This has caused con-cern
that developed stormwater stand-ards
will be excessively strict, a bur-den
for municipalities and industries
alike. Also feared is that excessively
strict standards might affect the condi-tion
of urban waterways in various
ways.
For example, reduced flows into
washes may result. This could happen
if stormwater treatment becomes
necessary to meet strict water quality
standards. This is an expensive
3
process. As a result, stormwater may
be diverted from flowing into washes
and contained in retention basins
rather than being released. Deprived
of the flow, vegetation within washes
could be adversely affected.
Some officials, however, question
whether the regulation of stormwater
will necessarily restrict its discharge
into washes. Such officials claim that,
although research in the area is hm-tied,
researchers thus far have not
detected excessive amounts of pol-lutants
that would raise concerns
under proposed water quality stand-ards.
John Brock and Doug Green
from the Arizona State University's
School of Agri-Business and Environ-mental
Resources are working on a
project of relevance to the NPS pollu-tion
problem within urban washes.
They are studying the chemistry of
soils within urban riparian areas to
determine how NPS pollution is af-fecting
such locations. Their work
also involves identifying vegetation
with a potential to modify some of the
pollution from urban runoff.
New water quality standards are
also being proposed for discharges
from sewage treatment plants. Here,
too, concern is expressed that exces-sively
strict standards could adversely
affect the natural conditions of
streams and washes. Such discharges
have benefited riparian areas. If strict
standards discourage discharges,
riparian habitats could be affected,
even destroyed. This situation poses a
quandary for some people who must
now consider tradeoffs in water
quality to preserve riparian areas.
flood Control
and Urban Washes
Flood
control and urban wash
development are complemen-tary
issues. If understood in nar-rowly
interpreted utilitarian terms,
the purpose of a wash is to carry
water. If this purpose is to be solely
served, then flood control efforts are
best that enable a wash to more effec-tively
carry greater amounts of water.
Such strategies however are often en-vironmentally
destructive. The crux of
the urban wash issue therefore is to
devise a strategy to accommodate
drainage needs, as well as preserve
conditions essential for environmental
and recreational amenities.
Different philosophies guide
flood control strategies. Once thought
to be a nuisance, stormwater was con-sidered
best managed and controlled
if made to flow from an area ex-peditiously.
To widen, straighten, and
channelize were the preferred
strategies to rid an area of flood-waters.
Such methods are considered
structural since they basically consist
of physical modifications to adjust
and change the flow of floodwaters.
Structural methods include such
measures as levees, floodwalls, chan-nel
improvement, and storage reser-voirs.
Developers are generally strong
supporters of structural flood control
measures. Anxious to develop the
maximum amount of land, they often
advocate bank stabilization projects
to control flooding and land erosion
that would otherwise threaten
development. With banks stabilized,
more land is available to develop. For
example, in planning its Rio Salado
project, the city of Tempe estimates it
can reclaim about 850 acres of land by
creating a bank stabilized floodway
channel within the Salt River. The
reclaimed acreage is to be used for a
multiple-use urban park.
With an increased concern about
the environment, a wariness has
developed about the physical changes
or modifications that result from
structural methods. Critics are ques-tioning
the effectiveness of structural
methods to mitigate the adverse im-pacts
of flood losses on the individual
and community. For example, by
directing and facilitating the flow of
runoff, structural measures tend to in-crease
the velocity of a flood. As a
result, runoff is more quickly con-centrated
resulting in higher levels of
inundation. This results in increased
erosion of downstream banks and
greater disruption of natural condi-tions.
Also flood control methods can
reduce the esthetic appeal of an area
and thus detract from its environmen-tal
and/or recreational uses. To most
people, for example, a concrete-lined
channel is much less appealing than a
natural riverbed with vegetation. The
latter inspires greater interest and use.
Assurances are therefore sought
that whatever flood control strategies
are employed will not despoil the
valued natural conditions of a wash.
This position has gained recognition
to the extent that flood control
projects are now often accompanied
by mitigation efforts to reclaim
degraded wash areas. In fact, federal
guidelines require such actions in cer-tain
circumstances.
Actions and Policies
to Preserve Urban Washes
Government
agencies may take
various actions that, although
often primarily intending to
control flooding and protect lives and
property, also contribute to the
preservation of urban washes. For ex-ample,
a flood control district may
buy up undeveloped floodplains
upstream of an urban area. This helps
to ensure that the area will not be
developed and channelized with con-ventional
structural flood control
methods. Downstream flood peaks,
therefore, are controlled. At the same
time, however, the natural conditions
of the wash arc protected. Pima Coun-ty
has purchased about 5,000 acres for
this purpose with flood control bond
and levy money.
The issue of land acquisition also
arises when washes are to be
preserved or developed for recrea-tion.
Land adjacent to a wash is often
4
needed for trails or other recreational
amenities. This land is acquired in
various ways. Pima County floodplain
ordinance requires a fifty-foot dedica-tion
along improved major watercour-ses,
mainly for access and main-tenance
purposes. The easement is
also available for development as part
of the Pima County linear park. When
land is needed that is not part of an
easement, Pima County purchases it.
Also, Pima County may require
developers to dedicate washes as a
condition of rezoning.
A flood control district may help
preserve washes by encouraging the
development of master plans to guide
development along watercourses. For
example, the Maricopa Flood Control
District is involved in developing a
master plan for areas along the Salt
and Gila Rivers. The plan contains
several objectives to ensure the en-vironmental
quality of watercourses.
For example, natural riverine habitats
are to be identified for preservation.
Also, a regional perspective for
developing park and recreational
facilities in the floodplain is to be
promoted.
Conditions of rezoning can also
be established to preserve the natural
state of washes and are useful tools to
implement the policies of an area
plan. For example, a master plan
might identify washes with a natural
habitat to be maintained or enhanced.
If the area is rezoned with such condi-tions,
enforcement is thus prescribed.
Some people are wary of rezoning,
however, since it can go either way.
Rezoning might also permit certain
activities that are detrimental to
natural conditions, such as concreting
a wash.
The passing of ordinances is
another strategy to protect urban
washes. The city of Tucson has passed
two such ordinances. One ordinance
recognizes that unspoiled urban
washes contribute to the health and
well-being of the city's residents and
describes measures to protect and
maintain the natural conditions of
designated urban washes. Also,
Scottsdale has recently passed an En-vironmentally
Sensitive Land Or-dinance
that designates much of
North Scottsdale, including its moun-tains,
foothills and alluvial fans as
requiring special zoning considera-tions.
The ordinance includes natural
open space incentives which dis-courage
development from highly
visible mountains and washes.
An individual property owner can
protect the natural conditions of a
wash by establishing a conservation
easement along the watercourse. Con-servation
easements are restrictions
landowners voluntarily place on their
property or a section of it to legally
bind present and future owners. It
specifically prohibits certain ac-tivities
- e.g, timber cutting, ditch dig-ging,
constructionto protect the
habitat, flora, or fauna found on the
land. A conservation easement might
also provide a tax benefit to the
property owner.
Different urban wash projects are
in various stages of development
within the state. What progress and
success they demonstrate depend on
a number of variables. Obviously,
more than the natural forces of geol-ogy
are at play. Political and social
forces are also involved. A few such
projects will now be described as case
studies. They will demonstrate the is-sues
involved when such work is un-dertaken
and also convey the range
and types of urban wash projects
within the state.
Pima County River Park
Pima
County is in the process of
establishing a river park system
along the banks of its major
watercourses. The eventual goal is to
develop up to 105 miles of linear river
park along the Santa Cruz and Rillito
Rivers and the Canada del Oro, Pan-tano,
and Tanque Verde Washes.
Thus far about 4 miles have been
constructed.
The river park system is a com-ponent
of a more grandiose trail
design, the Eastern Pima County
Trail System Master Plan. The latter
plan intends to expand on the existing
and planned river park system to con-nect
with all major public lands in the
area. Phase I of the plan designates a
first priority network of 650 miles of
trails, with linkages to public lands at
more than 90 locations. Many of the
proposed trails are to be along wash
channels.
San ildefonso bird design
Certain topographical conditions
in the Tucson area favor the construc-tion
of a linear river park, along with
the proposed trail extension. Tucson
is surrounded by higher relief moun-tain
ranges that are relatively un-reduced
by pedimentation; i.e. the
development of broad platforms at
the base of mountains. Higher dis-sected
surfaces are therefore evident
in which streams or washes are
entrenched. Washes are generally
well defined and fan out into branch-ing
patterns. The resulting system of
washes forms the natural trail routes
of a river park.
Not all Arizona areas have such
features. Phoenix, for example, is lo-cated
in an area of low, rolling topog-raphy,
with fairly shallow bedrock. As
a result, water flows over a broad sur-face
in wide spread sheets. Concrete
drainageways are constructed to col-
5
lect the water before flowing into
urban areas. As a result, Phoenix, un-like
Tucson, lacks a well defined
radial drainage pattern or an exten-sive
network of washes that could be
developed.
Plans call for the Tucson area
park to extend along the major river
banks in a 50-foot-wide corridor. This
is expected to be sufficient space for
vegetation and planned trails. Along
certain sections, however, develop-ment
has occurred close to the edge
of a wash, leaving, at times, only 10 to
20 feet for parkland. The county owns
some of the needed land, with other
land to be purchased. Purchasing ac-cess
land is a major expense of the
project. Project funds are obtained
from flood control tax levy money.
The river park project purports to
restore the natural integrity of
degraded river banks. Major rivers in
the area would be revitalized to serve
as appealing community attractions
featuring environmental and recrea-tional
amenities. As a swath of natural
life to stand in relief to urban forms
and structures, the river park design
has been referred to as a greenway or
greenbelt.
A major feature of the river park
design is the multiple use trail system.
Separated from vehicular traffic, the
trails are for pedestrian, bicycle, and
equestrian uses. Also, the park is to
provide for various activities and fea-tures:
equestrian staging areas,
drinking fountains and troughs,
playgrounds, exercise equipment,
shady rest areas, horticultural dis-plays,
interpretive features, restrooms
and maintenance areas.
And, of course, the river park is
to be an area with predominantly na-tive
vegetation. Where no vegetation
exists because of degradation and
misuse, various plants appropriate to
the Sonora desert will be cultivated.
Existing vegetation is to be preserved.
In areas where vegetation needs to be
disturbed, the mature vegetation is to
be transplanted whenever possible.
The river park will be mostly in
areas where urbanization has dis-rupted,
if not destroyed, whatever
wildlife habitat had existed. To help
improve the setting, the wildlife types
and species most likely to populate
the river park are being identified.
Strategies to enhance the habitats ap-propriate
to those types and species
are being developed, with the expecta-tion
that the wildlife will return to the
area.
By implementing certain flood
control measures Pima County be-came
obligated to develop the river
park. Under section 404 of the Clean
Water Act, the Army Corps of En-gineers
is responsible for all
tributaries to the navigable Colorado
River. Since Tucson's ephemeral
washes are designated U.S. water-ways,
Pima County applies for a 404
permit when stabilizing banks for
flood control. Part of the 404 permit
process requires that river parks be in-stalled
as mitigation measures to com-pensate
for disturbed natural condi-tions.
Flood control is therefore the
priority, a fact demonstrated by the
county agencies involved in the
project. Pima County Department of
Transportation and Flood Control is
designing and developing the river
park. Later the parks will be turned
over to Pima County Parks and
Recreation for maintenance.
Critical comments about the river
park include concern that the project,
representing a mitigation strategy, is,
in effect, an effort to compensate for
an environmental loss that should
never have occurred in the first place.
Also criticized is the attempt at
revegetation along the river banks. It
has been described as sparse and
having a tended, artificial appearance,
not entirely true to natural conditions.
Doubts are also expressed that linear
parks can be sites of habitat restora-tion.
At the same time, however, the
river park is seen to represent an
emerging appreciation of a vital
natural attraction in the area.
Indian Bend Wash
Whereas
Tucson claims en-vironmental
preservation as a
prime purpose of its river
park endeavors, the Indian Bend
Wash project maximizes the recrea-tional
possibilities of a developed
urban wash. The different directions
taken by the Indian Bend Wash plan-ners
reflect in many ways different
community preferences and interests.
At the same time, however, the
project demonstrates that urban
washes can be developed to serve
varied and creative intents and pur-poses.
The Indian Bend Wash runs
southward through Scottsdale and a
section of Tempe before flowing into
the Salt River. The wash drains part
of the McDowell Mountains as well
as some pediment areas north of
Scottsdale before cutting through the
center of town. When dry, the wash
was considered an eyesore, for it con-trasted
with the development occur-ring
nearby. When vigorously flowing,
a fairly regular occurrence, the wash
was a hazard and a danger splitting
the community and threatening life
and property. What to do? Obviously
some sort of flood control project was
called for.
The Army Corps of Engineers
proposed the traditional solution: a
concrete lined channel. The channel
would be seven miles long, about 23
feet deep and 170 feet wide. The
people of Scottsdale in turn rejected
this proposal. Through an organized
community effort, an alternate
strategy was proposed. This consisted
of creating a greenbelt with varied
recreational opportunities. Instead of
a stark, functional concrete ditch, a
community resource of multiple and
varied benefits would thus be created.
An innovative approach at the time,
the greenbelt concept was eventually
accepted as the guiding principle of
6
theflood control project.
More than just two options to
solve a flood control problem, the
proposed solutions - a concrete ditch
and a greenbelt - represented vastly
different perspectives on urban
design and development. That
Scottsdale is a city with a relatively al-fluent
and committed citizenry was no
small matter in settling the affair to its
satisfaction. The greenbelt was thus
created.
Indian Bend Wash is a flood con-trol
project with built-in recreational
facilities. Among the plethora of
recreational opportunities are 300
acres of city parks, golf courses, swim-ming
pools and fishing and boat lakes.
Activities range from jogging to horse-shoes
to paddleboats. All facilities
and equipment are designed for flood
control. For example, tennis court fen-ces
break away and float with flood
waters to return to normal positions
when flooding subsides Small lakes,
which recharge groundwater, are
designed and placed to slow rushing
flood waters.
Basic to the park's development
and operation were the expected
economic benefits to Scottsdale. In
fact, without the promise of economic
gain, the project would unlikely be in
its present form. And, as planned, the
project has worked out to be an
economic asset to the city. Because of
its attractions, the Indian Bend Wash
area is lined with high-cost, luxury
apartments and condominiums. Also,
businesses in proximity to the project
greatly benefit. This growth and
development are obviously to the
advantage of the city's tax base.
Some critics express concern,
however, that environmental uses are
not adequately provided for, despite
the much lauded multiple uses of the
project. The natural conditions of the
wash are said to be little evident,
covered over by grass and recreation-al
areas. Further, the project is
criticized as a water consuming green-belt.
Some critics are thus prompted
to note that a desert greenbelt is in
fact a contradiction in terms. In sum,
various critics believe that environ-mental
values got slighted in the
project's commitment to other
priorities.
To some extent the Indian Bend
Wash endeavor stands as a model for
the Tempe Rio Salado project.
Developers of the Tempe project
claim that the Rio Salado project will
do for their city what the Indian Bend
Wash did for Scottsdale. There are,
however, significant differences be-tween
the two projects.
Plans for the Rio Salado project,
which will develop land along the Salt
River in Tempe, call for certain en-vironmental
features. Native vegeta-tion
and low-water use plant species
are to be used. The project also
proposes to create wildlife habitats
and riparian landscape areas.
FIastaff and Prescott
Begin Efforts
Smaller
urban centers of Arizona
are also beginning efforts to
reclaim the natural conditions of
their creeks and washes disturbed by
development and urbanization. Two
such cities are Flagstaff and Prescott.
The emergence of these efforts in
such areas demonstrates an important
fact; i.e., the adverse effects of ur-banization
are not confined to major
centers such as Phoenix and Tucson.
Further, the concern apparent in
these cities demonstrates that sen-sitivity
to the urban wash issue and
the need to take action is evident in
small urban areas as well as large
population centers.
Flagstaff is located along the Rio
de Flag, a river fed by ephemeral
streams. Because of urbanization
many of Flagstaff's streams and
washes are severely degraded. For ex-ample,
watercourses have been filled
in, and the watertable has dropped in
some areas resulting in the drying up
of streams.
Flagstaff citizens have recently ap-proved
the sale of bonds for a
reclaimed water treatment plant. The
plant is to process wastewater and
produce 3 million gallons of
reclaimed water per day. Uses for the
reclaimed water are presently being
decided, with application on
cemeteries and other grasslands ex-pected.
The Northern Arizona Riparian
Council (NARC) views the eventual
operations of the treatment plant as
providing an opportunity to reclaim
riparian areas lost because of ur-banization.
The council is proposing
that reclaimed water be released in
areas where it would revive and
benefit riparian habitats.
NARC's plan of action involves
identifying locations where riparian
communities previously existed.
Studies would then be conducted to
determine what the characteristics of
these communities were. Finally, how
such areas would benefit from a
renewed flow of water would be ascer-tained.
NARC recently made an initial
presentation before the Flagstaff City
Council. It has been invited to provide
further input during city council work
sessions.
Activities to protect watercourses
are also beginning in Prescott, a city
with fairly abundant riparian areas.
As defined by an involved citizen's
group, the concern in Prescott is to
preserve present stream conditions
from the adverse affects of grazing
and urban activities. The damages to
Prescott watercourses are not con-sidered
to be as severe as in other
areas of the state.
The quality of stream flow
through Prescott is affected by situa-tions
both outside and within the city.
Located in the headwaters above
town, most of the riparian areas in the
Prescott National Forest are listed as
either in poor or fair condition by the
U.S. Forest Service. Some people
believe this situation is mostly the
7
result of over grazing. Also, concern
has been expressed that zoning in
Prescott is not effective for protecting
natural stream conditions. A further
concern is that sewer lines are laid in
streambeds. This results at times in in-flow
that overloads the system causing
flooding. Leakage into streambeds
has also resulted.
A recent Prescott general
management plan recognized the
importance of preserving the condi-tion
and quality of stream and
riparian areas in Prescott. The docu-ment
however was criticized as being
too general and therefore ineffective
as a policy guide.
The conservation committee of
the Prescott Audubon Society is work-ing
to develop a proposal advocating
the protection of creeks and washes
within city limits. The proposal is to
be submitted to the city and provide
specific recommendations, including
suggested zoning changes. It is hoped
that the proposal will attract general
public support and provide the incen-tive
to pass appropriate legislation.
Also, a linear trail system along
Prescott creeks is being planned and
developed. The intent is to create a
trail to link the city with the national
forest. At the same time the trails are
to encourage public appreciation of
the city's riparian areas.
Conclusion
The issue of preserving and
reclaiming urban wash lands is
not one to be resolved along an
urban-vs.-nature dichotomy, with ad-vocates
lined up on each side. In-stead,
the urban wash issue has the
potential to demonstrate that, in the
best of urban environments, the
developed and natural can be com-plementary,
each contributing to an
attractive, safe, and creative human
setting. In a broad sense, the issue has
to do with designing an urban environ-ment
that is not inhospitable to
natural and environmental features.
The quest then is not to return
washes to their original natural condi-tions.
Even to identify such conditions
would be difficult, since modifications
resulted from Indian, Spanish and
U.S. occupation and use of the land.
Watercourses have experienced too
much degradation and abuse, espe-cially
during the last few years, to be
fully reclaimed to original conditions.
The goal, therefore, is to restore
the habitat to conditions that are com-patible
with the situation at present.
Urban washes will need to serve
urban and natural needs; in other
words, multiple uses. These include
wildlife conservation, flood control,
groundwater recharge, scenic beauty,
and recreation.
The writer thanks the following
people for contributing information
to this newsletter: Charles Avery,
Northern Arizona University; Victor
Baker, Charles Poster, University of
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