HYDROGEOLOGIC STUDY OF THE COCONINO PLATEAU, NORTHERN ARIZONA: A PART OF THE ARIZONA RURAL WATERSHED INITIATIVE

Since 2000, the State of Arizona Rural Watershed Initiative has established the infrastructure to address water supply issues in rural areas of the State with an emphasis on regional watershed studies. The program encourages the development of partnerships between local stakeholders, resource agencies, and science agencies, such as the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), to develop information needed to support resource-planning and management decisions. The USGS, in cooperation with the Arizona Department of Water Resources, is evaluating the hydrogeology of the Coconino Plateau, one of three study areas in northern Arizona, where population growth is well above the national average. The effects of historic, current, and future uses of water on the ground-water resources in the plateau are not known.

Ground water in northern Arizona is an important resource for municipalities, National Parks, National Forests, Native Americans, and rural water users. Population growth, increased recreational activity, and drought have increased water demand and water use significantly during the past two decades. In addition, the fate of riparian areas and wetlands associated with the ground-water systems is uncertain. As a result, regional and local water managers are now focused on conservation and sustainability of ground-water resources. Existing hydrogeologic data, focused on a few discrete areas, however, are insufficient to adequately address these issues.

A comprehensive information base being developed for the Coconino Plateau will augment the current understanding of the hydrogeologic system. The information base will be used to describe the hydrogeologic framework and develop conceptual and interpretive models of the hydrogeologic system. When the study is completed, resource managers will be able to use the information data base and interpretive model to examine the hydrologic consequences of various water-resources development scenarios in the area. Project status can be tracked online at the URL http://az.water.usgs.gov/rwi-ii/, which includes an interactive mapping tool that allows users to create customized maps to meet their specific needs.