Diamond Rim Water Exploration Project

Current status

Top

PUBLIC SCOPING FOR THE PROPOSED

PAYSON DIAMOND RIM

WATER EXPLORATION PROJECT  

The U.S. Forest Service Payson Ranger District conducted public scoping on the proposed Payson Water Exploration Project through June 15. An open house meeting held May 18 in Payson was part of the scoping process.

The Forest Service will be preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the project in Gila County, Arizona. The purpose of the project includes the exploratory drilling and testing of approximately 28 well sites in order to determine the presence and extent of groundwater along several selected faults located on Forest Service land within the project area. The Forest Service, in its decision-making capacity, will use the EA to determine whether the project is in the public’s interest.

Written comments were accepted until June 15, 2004. All comments received will help to determine the issues to be evaluated in the EA. For additional information please contact Mr. Rod Byers, Payson District Lands Staff Officer, U.S. Forest Service by email at rbyers@fs.fed.us or by telephone at (928) 474-7900.

For more information, view the Town of Payson website.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process

Top

  1. The Forest Service must determine the level of environmental analysis necessary to properly evaluate a proposed project. For this project, it was determined that an Environmental Assessment (EA) would be the first step of analysis.
  2. The project proponent, in this case the Town of Payson, must provide an adequate description of the proposed project. They must also provide an adequate purpose and need for the project.
  3. Public scoping occurs to document issues and the public’s concerns and the environmental resources that may be impacted by the proposed project.
  4. All relevant comments from public scoping are addressed in the EA.
  5. The consultant will draft an EA and submit it to the Forest Service for comment.
  6. The Forest Service will produce a final EA for public review and comment. This document is distributed to the public through public libraries and by request from the Forest Service office and the Town of Payson Water Department. The public review period for this document will be 30 days.
  7. Once the Forest Service reviews the public’s comments on the EA, they will make their environmental determination based on the findings of the EA.
  8. The Forest Service will publish a decision document. At this point a 45-day appeal period begins.
  9. After the 45-day appeal period, the special use permit will be issued to the Town providing no appeals with merit are received. If there are appeals with merit, these would be reviewed before any action could be implemented.

Forest Service's role in this project Top

The Forest Service must issue a special use permit before water resources research on Forest land is allowed. The issuing of that permit is considered a "federal action" and an assessment of project impacts to the natural and human environment is required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Forest Service Mission:
The mission of the Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

    Forest Service’s Policy on Water Exploration on Forest Lands:
  • Entities other than the Forest Service cannot construct and/or test wells
    on National Forest System (NFS) lands without Forest Service authorization.
  • The Forest groundwater policy states that finding groundwater does not
    ensure its availability for use. If this exploration project is approved, a
    second, separate environmental NEPA analysis and special use permit
    would be necessary to address future water production.
  • The scope of this project only includes exploratory drilling and testing.
  • Water supply development that would significantly impact surface water
    resources will not be allowed.
  • Water supply development that would significantly impact existing
    neighboring private wells will not be allowed.

Project needs and goals

Top

The Town of Payson (Town) relies on groundwater to supply water to its citizens. The current groundwater wells used for supplying this water are located within Payson’s town limits. Payson relies on rain and snowfall to recharge the aquifers they currently use. Groundwater withdrawal is approaching the maximum yield that can be sustained by natural recharge (safe yield).

 
 

Payson is investigating areas surrounding the Town for sources of additional water. The Tonto National Forest surrounds Payson. Based on the geology of the area, the Town of Payson believes the Diamond Rim Area (located on Forest Service land) may yield a significant amount of groundwater. The aquifer in this area, however, has not been tested.

The Town of Payson cannot confirm if significant groundwater is present within the Diamond Rim area without further study. In order to better understand the aquifer characteristics within the Diamond Rim area, the Town of Payson is requesting a special use permit to conduct exploratory drilling and aquifer testing on Forest Service land. Permanent use of the water is not part of this special use permit.

Why investigate the Diamond Rim area?

Top

Groundwater around the Town of Payson is found mainly within fractures in the underlying granite. These fractures are highly concentrated around geologic faults. The Diamond Rim area exhibits extensive faults that suggest the presence of large amounts of groundwater.

 

Fault locations were determined by geologic mapping and the initial 36 wells were sited in those faults. The Town used state-of-the-art geophysical techniques to focus the proposed investigation on 15 priority exploratory well sites.

Using these data, an exploration plan was developed. The objective of this plan is to characterize the extent of the aquifer and estimate the amount and quality of water in the Diamond Rim Area.

Other possible water sources for Payson

Top

Prior to looking at the Diamond Rim area, the Town of Payson had considered other sources of water:

Surface water diversion from Roosevelt Lake
This option was determined to be neither technically nor financially feasible.

Surface water diversions from Blue Ridge Reservoir on the Mogollon Rim
There are complex Indian water right issues that must be resolved. Currently, only 3,000 acre-feet per year are being considered and would be divided between Payson and several other communities. This option may not be viable unless a larger amount of water is considered for Payson alone.

Surface water diversion from the East Verde River
After the Town pursued this option, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stated that they believe this water diversion would have a significant environmental impact on the Verde River.

Expand groundwater development within the Town of Payson limits
Data collected by the Town indicates that little to no new groundwater is available from aquifers beneath Town boundaries.

Transportation of groundwater from the Mogollon Rim area
There is a statutory prohibition of interbasin transfers of groundwater, in this case from the Little Colorado basin to the Verde River or Tonto Creek basins. There is also a potential conflict with Indian water rights. Therefore, this option was not pursued further.

Transportation of groundwater from the Upper Tonto Basin area
Initial exploratory drilling by the Town of Payson in Rye and at Doll Baby did not identify significant groundwater. Furthermore, there are potential conflicts with water right claims by the Salt River Valley water users. Consequently, this option was not pursued further.

Conservation
Water conservation and recycling measures have already been implemented including effluent reuse, development impact fees, new construction requirements for lower flow fixtures and lower-water use vegetation, and graduated rates to discourage heavy use. Water use has been reduced by 7% as a result of this conservation effort.

How will this project affect the forest?

Top

Temporary Construction Impacts

  • Drilling at each site will require a drill rig and support vehicles.
  • Construction noises (associated with well drilling equipment) may be audible to residents located less than one mile from a proposed drilling site.
  • Improvement to existing Forest Service roads would be required.
  • Drilling of the wells would take approximately 24 months.
    Permanent Construction Impacts
  • Improvements of some existing Forest Service roads, as well as the construction of up to 2,200 feet of new roads, may be needed to allow exploration access.
  • Some test wells may remain accessible. A well head would be installed and would protrude approximately 2 to 3 feet above the ground surface.
  • Other wells will be properly decommissioned, with no permanent impacts.
    Drilling and Well Construction Impacts
  • Well sites will be located in 100x100 sq. ft. sites. A total of approximately 8 acres of Forest Service land will be used. Trees up to 10 inches in diameter may need to be removed from the well site. Some brush may need to be cleared at sites.
  • Depending on the amount of groundwater encountered, aquifer testing may occur. Resulting groundwater would be discharged to nearby dry washes.

Other resources of the project area

Top

Biological/Threatended and Endangered Species
Several species of concern are found in the Diamond Rim area, including the Chiricahua leopard frog, the Arizona agave, and the Mexican spotted owl.

The Town is currently consulting the US Fish and Wildlife Service to determine if this project will have any adverse impact on these species.

Water Resources
Several springs and ephemeral water courses (small, typically dry washes, except during rainfall or snow melt), are located within the vicinity of the proposed well sites. The relatively minor amount of groundwater withdrawn for aquifer testing is not expected to impact any flowing springs. However, major springs within the project area will be monitored during the aquifer tests for any reduction in flow. No wells are proposed in areas where continuous surface water flows occur.

Air Quality
Air quality impacts will be limited to temporary diesel emissions from the drill rig.

Land Uses
The project area is located within National Forest Land and the public uses include hiking, camping, off-highway vehicle use, and hunting.

Cultural Resources
The Town has conducted surveys of all areas proposed for use or disturbance. Several archaeological resources have been identified within and or surrounding the project area.

The proposed project has been designed to avoid impacts to all archaeological resources.

Project concerns addressed

Top

ISSUE #1: Groundwater removed from the National Forest for the Town’s domestic use may
dry up wells on adjoining private lands.

RESPONSE: With the exception of water pumped during aquifer tests, use of groundwater is not part of this Special Use Permit. The permit under consideration is for exploration only. An additional permit will be required in the future if the Town wants to use the groundwater. The Southwestern Region groundwater policy requires that impacts to private wells be considered in that decision.

ISSUE #2: Groundwater use may impact surface water and riparian sources.

RESPONSE: Use of groundwater is not part of this Special Use Permit. If aquifer testing occurs under this Special Use Permit, monitoring of springs will take place. Impacts to those resources will not be allowed.

ISSUE #3: The discovery of additional water supplies could influence the continued population growth of the community.

RESPONSE: The current permit is for exploration only. This issue is beyond the scope of the current permit, but would have to be addresssed if the Town requested to use any groundwater in the future. The Town has indicated that even with the current population, existing supplies may not include enough drought reserves.

ISSUE #4: The Forest Service is biased towards the Town’s water interests.

RESPONSE: The Forest Service has not taken a position on this project. Under federal law the Forest Service must fully analyze any environmental impacts of a project in an open and public manner. The Southwestern Region groundwater policy was developed to protect forest resources and neighboring private wells. If those protections can be met, then water exploration, and possible use by the Town may be allowed. If those protections cannot be met, approving this permit would not meet Forest Service policy.

ISSUE #5: Wildlife may be impacted; trees and other vegetation will be destroyed; archaeological sites will be damaged.

RESPONSE: It will be necessary to clear oak and manzanita brush on some drill sistes. A total of approximately 2200 feet of new roads will be created to accommodate all the proposed drill sites. No trees over 10 inches in diameter will be removed. Surveys will be conducted to ensure that no impacts occur to Threatened and Endangered species. All archaeological sites will be avoided.

Expected project schedule

Top

May 1999 to June 2001 Geologic mapping and hydrogeologic assessment of Diamond Rim fault system and environs begun that includes investigations of Mayfield Canyon Area
Summer 2001 Town of Payson applies for a Special Use Permit to drill exploratory wells on Forest Service land, First Scoping Meeting on central section of Diamond Rim fault system (August 8, 2001)
Summer 2001-2003 Baseline data collection and mapping identifies 36 potential well sites
Summer 2003 to Spring 2004 Comprehensive geological and geophysical studies resulted in identifying 28 well sites
Spring 2004 Scoping (public and agency input) Data Analysis (analysis of potential impacts of the project)
Summer 2004 Public comment update and project plan update
Fall 2004 Environmental Assessment (EA) (documentation of the alternatives' analysis, impacts analysis, and all other components of the environmental review process)
Winter 2005 Decision (USFS will decide whether or not to authorize exploratory drilling and decide whether or not to authorize use of its land)


Alerts & Warnings

View All Alerts