TI ..~ EVOLUTION OF THE RIPARIAN ECOLOGY EDUCATION

~~Jee:cy. PROJECT (REEP) AT THE HASSA Y AMPA RIVER PRESERVE

Val Little, Preserve Manager, Hassayampa River Preserve, Nature Conservancy

students. The second REEF feature is anongoing series of riparian ecologyworkshops for teachers. These twocomponents make for well-informedteachers and motivated students, enablingus to impart principles of, and appreciation

for, riparian ecology -based upon science.Simultaneously, we help foster aconservation ethic among current andfuture generations.

REEP Curriculum

This cur~iculum consists of an

introductory section and a menu ofeducational activities from which teachersand students can select. The HassayampaRiver Preserve Introduction to a Riparian

~.. Continued Page 3 )

Editor'sMessage 2Species Profile. 5Water Protection Fund Update. 8Tenth Annual Meeting Information. 9

ARC Educational Events. 10

VolunteerCorner 11

Legallssues 12Noteworthy Publications. 14

P-"1 he Arizona Chapter of The Nature Conservancy

places a high premium on the educational andexperiential aspects of conservation work. Thatpriority is evidenced by the Conservancy's preserve

system in Arizona. These preserves are highly visible andresponsive to the visiting public and to the communities inwhich they occur. We believe that adequate stewardship of

these rare sites with such-high biological value is only

possible with support from awell-informed and motivated

public.This philosophy trans-

lates, at the HassayampaRiver Preserve, to abroadarray of interpretive andeducational programs. Thecore of this programming isthe Riparian EcologyEducation Program(REEP). The REEP is Idesigned for classroom .

teachers and for visitingschool groups. The goal

through REEP is t<? maximizethe experience of each youngster and teacher who visitsthe Preserve.

In 1994, we were fortunate to be awarded a HeritageGrant from Arizona State Parks, which provided the seedmoney for development of our two-pronged approach toteaching riparian ecology .The first REEP focus is thecreation of a riparian ecology curriculum for high school

bad, so that we continue to produce an informativeand interesting newsletter .

T hank you so much for reading ournewsletter so thoroughly. We received aletter from Richard Quartaroli, GlenCanyon Environmental Studies, who

pointed out an incorrect citation in our leadarticle, The Lower Colorado River Ecoregion byWes Martin (Vol. 8, No.3). The error was ours(not the author's) and was a mistyped volume andpage number. The correct citation should be asfollows:

With this issue we will be starting a new feature.A Volunteer Corner which will list projectsseeking volunteer help. Along with the project willbe the contact person for that project to becontacted directly. H you have any projects thatneed voluntary assistance please let us know andwe'll put it in the column. However, please beaware that the newsletter only occurs three timesa year , so plan ahead.Grinnell, J. 1914. An account of the mammals and

birds of .the lower Colorado River Valley , withespecial reference to the distributional problemspresented. Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool. 12:51-294.

Please plan to attend our lOth Anniversarymeeting (see page 9 for details) in Prescon! Hopeto see you there!

Thank you Richard for finding it. We encourageeveryone to provide us with feedback, good or Jeff and Cindy

T he Arizona State U niversity (ASU) Student Chapter of the Soil and Water ConservationSociety (SWCS) has started a scholarship fund designed to be tawarded to students in theenvironmental field. The Society wants to thank their advisor, Dr. Douglas Green, for hisgenerous contribution. The scholarship has yet to be named and requirements set up for

receiving it, these will be determined by members. The goal is to reach a minimum of $10,000.It is the first scholarship of its kind at ASU. So far the Chapter has raised $400 through donations,

membership fees, and a raffle, but they are far from their goal and are seeking donations. They are anonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status, thus all donations are tax deductible. Donations should beaddressed to The Soil and Water Conservation Society, Department of Planning and LandscapeArchitecture, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ 85287-

FIRST ANNUAL SWCS POSTER SESSION

A call for posters! The ASU Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society has scheduled amultidisciplinary environmental poster session to be held during the last week of April in the MemorialUnion at ASU. This session will be an excellent opportUnity for undergraduates, graduates, faculty, andthe professional community as it will showcase the variety of research being conducted in all areas of theenvironment. If you are interested in participation, please contact Terri Warnecki at (602) 940-5284, orAaron P. Bradford at the Center for Environmental Studies at (602) 965-2975.

Preserve as a teachinglaboratory .Students are alsoable to make a positive andpractical contribution toPreserve management via theirdata collection or analysis,information gathering or

problem solving.

( Continuedfrom Page 1)

REEP Teacher Institutes

These workshops areorganized for the benefit ofteachers at all levels. TheInstitutes are designed to helpteachers, particularly those whoare not science teachers, becomeinformed and comfortable withthe topic of riparian ecology .Institute speakers explorevarious aspects of riparianecology using the HassayampaRiver Preserve as a case in point.In addition, the teachers areprepared by experiencing thesame hands-on activities thattheir students will encounter

during their study of thePreserve. The next REEPInstitute is scheduled forFebruary 24 and 25, 1996.

We are currently host tonearly 1,000 school children,and we are training 60 teacherseach year .Through REEP webelieve that teachers andstudents in central Arizona aregetting the most exciting andrigorous introduction to andexperience in the subject ofriparian ecology available any-where.

N o words ring sweeter in myears than those of a youngster ,who having recently visitedHassayampa on a school fieldtrip, returns with a parent ortwo in tow, saying "Look Dad,I told you they had mountainlion poop here," or "Come onMom, you've got to see thesecool lizards we learned about."I know then that REEF makesa difference.

T reasure presents an overview ofthe Hassayampa River Preserveand its importance within theecosystem. It covers the naturaland cultural history of thePreserve and the basics ofriparian ecology .This portionof the curriculum also providesan annotated checklist oforganisms to be found at thePreserve, de signed for use byany teacher who wishes to usethe Preserve as a learningresource.

Other components of theREEP program consist ofactivities for students to com-plete before and after theirPreserve visit. There are alsoseveral options for onsite fieldstudy, and a component thatassesses the extent oflearning which has occurred.These curriculum activitiesenable a high school class, inany subject, to utilize the

S and and gravel facilities

typically operate within

watercourses becausethese areas provide

sources of aggregate which areclean and suitable to meetspecifications without expensiveprocessing. The ArizonaDepartment of EnvironmentalQuality (ADEQ) has theauthority through Section 401of the federal Clean Water Actto evaluate projects which arelocated in or near watercourses.The purpose of ADEQ's reviewis to minimize negative impacts

to water quality from suchactivities. Also considered arestructures and roads, upstreamand downstream bridges, andmost importantly, riparian

vegetation.In 1993, the Tulloch Rule

required sand and gravel plantsto obtain a Clean Water ActSection 404 federal permit fromthe Army Corps of Engineers(Corps). According to the StateMine Inspectors Office, thereare 225 aggregate facilities inArizona. There may be as manyas 50 on Indian reservations and

another 30 operating outside ofwatercourses. This leaves aminimum of 145 that will needto be permitted by the Corpsand ADEQ. The deadline forfiling permits is August 1996,and those who do not apply fora permit are in violation.

It has been proposed thatADEQ precertify all sand andgravel facilities. Precertificationmeans that a set of generalconditions would be prepared tocover all sand and gravelfacilities statewide. Those

~.. Continued page 4)

Legislation has beenproposed addressing the issue ofprecertification of activities. The401 Certification processprovides a mode to protectbridges) roads) structures) andvaluable riparian vegetationfrom activities that take place inor near watercourses. TheArizona Riparian Council

recognizes that the 401Certification provides the statean opportunity to play animportant role in protectingriparian vegetation. H required,the Council will supportmaintaining ADEQ's role inreviewing projects such as sandand gravel mining through the401 Certification.

~.. Continued from page 3)conditions would be given tothe Corps who puts them intothe terms and conditions of the404 permit. At first this mayseem more efficient. However ,no two sand and gravel facilitiesare the same. Each individualfacility should be evaluated forimpacts to water quality.

FALL GET- TOGETHER

OCTOBER 14-15,1995

Get- Together was held at the Sierra Ancha Experimental Research Station near y oung,IArizona. The weather was beautiful and the surroundings were very relaxing. We began ourmeeting by hearing from Jerry Gottfried of the U.S. Forest Service about the long history of theResearch Station and work that has been conducted on the Sierra Ancha Experimental Forest-years. The historical information was quite interesting and the research informative. Howard

I' Pleasant Valley Ranger District, told us how riparian recreation management is beingconducted in the Pleasant Valley Ranger District. Following these presentations we all gathered tobrainstorm about our annual spring meeting and then everyone was on their own to relax, explore, hike,~,- A good time was held by all, even with all the "logs sawed" in the night. The attendance was v

~ ry

--o.~yabout 15 people. To those of you who didn't attend you were missed and we hope you'll

-~ next_year .-.

t

A rizona Riparian Council memberslistening to Jerry Gottfried, u.s. ForestService, tell about the history of SierraAncha.

SPECIES PROFILE

HERON IN Matt Chew, A rizona State Parks

I was admonished at the outset

that this was supposed to be a seri-

ous discussion of herons, particu-

larly as they relate to the Hassa-

yampaRiver...

their most unusual hunting toolis that sinuous neck, which al-lows for instantaneous, chame-leon-like strikes from an unex-pected distance. Another inter-esting thing to consider is that aheron must instinctively, or bylearning, be able to adjust forrefractive distortion when tar-geting subsurface prey.

There are several members ofthe heron tribe that frequentcentral Arizona waters. A cou-ple are widely common, year-round residents. The rest areeither more localized, or sea-sonal visitors.

only be guessed at, a Great BlueHeron will allow a human toapproach within 50 ft or so, butthis is quite the exception.

Great Blues are also the mostobviously vocal of our herons.Their typical alarm call soundssomething like a raven would ifforced to communicate througha vacuum cleaner hose. I'veheard a Great Blue make themost pathetic and heart-rendingsounds through that hose, too;~ut that's a story for anothertime.

As might be expected fromtheir size (42-52 inches long;wingspan to 7 ft; 5-8 lbs), GreatBlues can forage in deeper waterthan many predators. I've seenthem up to their bellies, wherethey can hunt large fish. Thesearefoften skewered on a closedor partially open beak, then ma-neuvered into a head-first posi-tion for swallowing whole.Most prey are swallowed thisway, to avoid complications;this is probably reversed forcrayfish. Along the Hassa-yampa, their major prey mustbe longfin dace {Agosiachrysogaster) ; and it takes a lotof dace to equal a one or twopound sucker. {Audubonreported seeing a Great BlueHeron pirating fish from anOsprey [Pandion halieatusJ inflight.)

Great Blue Heron

(Ardea herodias)

Herons are basically oppor-tunistic predators. They are sim-ilarly equipped variations on a

single, specialized foragingtheme- relatively long legs, longnecks and long, stabbing beaks.They eat anything they cancatch, which means fish, frogs,tadpoles, crayfish, rodents, smallbirds, snakes, lizards, turtles,insects, worms, and potentially,each other's nestlings. Don't beshocked. There's a lot of thiskind of thing going on outthere.

Their long legs facilitate wad-ing in water deep enough tosupport sizable prey species.Herons also have long toes, asort of mud-walking version ofsnowshoes. Long, straight beaksare used both for "closed" jab-bing and "open" snatching. But

Both words in the scientificname mean heron -A rdea inLatin and herodias in Greek.This redundancy seems to recurwith a few other heron speciesnames as well. Along the Hass-ayampa, your most likely heronexperience would be a rear viewof a retreating Great Blue. GreatBlue Herons are the perimeteralarm system of a stream ripar-ian community .They are ex-tremely wary and, unlike manyvisually oriented predators, theyhave virtually 360 degree vision.They are essentially somewhatclaustrophobic, preferring siteswhere their vision is unimpededby shrubs or undergrowth.Sometimes, for reasons that can

~..Continued page 6)Great Blue Heron

Green-backed Heron

(Butorides striatus)

ously made an important obser-vat~on one day and capitalizedon it.

As you might expect, theGreen-backed preys on smallcritters like minnows, beetles,leeches, and snails to greatereffect than its tall cousins do.They are usually solitary nest-ers, laying 3-6 eggs. There areprobably quite a few lurkingalong the Hassayampa, wher-ever there are dace to dine on.

The Green-backed Heron isthe hapless victim of a minortaxonomic controversy betweenthe "lumpers" and "splitters" atthe American Ornithologists'Union. Informed sources tell methat it will just be the GreenHeron again on the next check-list. As the "Green" it wasButorides 'Virescens. At the mo-ment (1 think) as the "Green--backed" it is B. striatus. If themore southerly "StriatedHeron" and the "Green Heron"are split again... Controversy!The Green-backed Heron has allthis and more. " Butorides" is

Latin for "bittern," if that allaysany confusion. Probably not.

The Green-backed Heron hasa 26-inch wingspan, more orless, and is 18-22 inches long. Itonly weighs 6 or 7 oz; quite abit smaller than the Great Blue.It is a very cryptic, but also veryhigh-strung little bird, and willflush if approached, eventhough you might not notice itotherwise. They are one of myperennial favorites to watch.Thanks mainly to fortuitouslandscape plantings, I oncesnuck up to within about 6 ft ofone at Encanto Park in Phoenixand watched it pick off a couplemosquitofish ( Gambusia affinis) .There was one at some attrac-tion in Florida that made thenews about 10 or 15 years agoby learning to bait minnowswith tidbits thrown to it bytourists. It would drop the itemon the water, the fish wouldcome to nibble, and the birdwould eat the fish. Highly spe-cialized predators are rarely ter-ribly creative, but this one obvi-

Black-crowned Night.Heron (Nycticorax

nycticorax}

The Black-crowned Night-Heron mayor may not befound along the Hassayampa,but it is present in central Ari-zona, and is an interesting caseof a bird adapting to changingcircumstances. In the early sev-enties, its local status was ques-tionable, and there were few

(..Continuedfrompage 5)Great Blue Herons are colo-

nial nesters; in Arizona, theircolonies are most likely to befound in stands of large cotton-woods (populus fremonti~) orother riparian trees. They typi-cally lay 3-7 eggs, and like otherherons feed their altricial youngon regurgitated, semi-digested

prey.Herons will migrate from

areas where open water is un-available during the winter. Butit seems likely that small desertrivers aren't the greatest habitatfor Great Blues. They probablydo best along shallow ponds orrivers with deep pools. Ironi-cally, the Salt River through thePhoenix area includes suchplaces, full of small tilapia(Tilapia spp.) and other intro-duced fish that are probablyoptimum heron fodder. And theherons are hanging around thereto prove it.

Twice I have had both mo-tive and opportunity to try tohelp a distressed Great BlueHeron. One bird was very calm,and very sick. The other wasinjured, and frantic. While Iheld the latter, I took a sudden,unexpected, and painful hit inthe right temple from that longbeak -mainly because I waslucky enough to be turning myhead while the bird struck atmy eye. There is one believablereport that a defensive blueheron put its beak through awooden boat oar. Be careful.

Black-crowned Night-Heron

riparian areas around Phoenixwhere it could breed. While at abaseball game at Phoenix Sta-dium in about 1991, I was sur-prised to see one flying northfrom the Salt River area. subse-quently we "discovered" thatthere were numerous nests ap-pearing in palm trees and

Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis)Green-backed Heron

at the nearby Phoenix Zoo.Night Herons have been breed-ing there with what appears tobe considerable success eversince, and are often encounteredat drainage runoff puddles in theSalt River channel, and alongcanals and other irrigationworks in the general vicinity. Iwatched one that appeared to belongingly (and patiently) assess-ing its chances of picking offsome 1-2 lb grass carp

(Ctenopharyngodon idellus), justout of reach in the SRP Cross-cut Canal east of Papago Park.

Black-crowns are nocturnalbut not exclusively so. And

though fairly large (1.5-2.5 lbs),they're not always easy to no-tice. Immature birds have a veryeffective camouflage pattern, butadults are strikingly black, grayand white. They are 23-28inches long, with a wingspan ofabout 3.5 ft. They may be themost likely of our herons to eatother birds. They are colonial

nesters, sometimes with otherheron species, and usually lay3-5 eggs. Nycticorax nycticoraxmeans "night raven, night ra-ven."

egret (Chilean colloquial)] wereplundered nearly to extinctionto decorate hats around 1900,but are now widely recoveredand reestablishing. SnowyEgrets have black beaks, blacklegs, and bright yellow feet.They have been observed to stirup bottom debris to locate prey.They also sometimes run andchase prey. So, those ydlow feetmay have a "startle" function, oreven provide some contrast or atargeting reference. The last andleast white of the three is theCattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) .Thisis an Eastern Hemisphere nativethat seems to have found its wayfrom Africa to South Americawithout human intervention,and has spread into temperateareas. It is locally common inagricultural areas of southernCalifornia and southwesternArizona. H any of these speciesbreeds in central Arizona, Ihaven't heard about it yet.

Visitors

Three other heronish birdsare also seen with some regular-ity in central Arizona. All aregenerally white-plumaged, andall are generally referred to asegrets. In the winter, GreatEgrets ( Casmerodius albus, or"white adorned heron") can befound wherever they have accessto fish. We saw a flock of about60, in flight, during the 1995Gila River Christmas BirdCount. They are a little smallerthan Great Blue Herons, withyellowish bills and black feet.These and their slightly moreelegant-looking and smallercousins the Snowy Egret[Egrettathula, or egret (French)

t

Cattle Egret

/ / / .\/ / ,,~

~

Great Egret

ARIZONA WATER PROTECTION

FUND COMMISSION AWARDS $6.8 MILLION

L ast November, the

Arizona Water

Protection Fund(A WPF) Commission

held two days of meetings toselect grant recipients for thefirst A WPF funding cycle.

Eighty-two (82) gr~ntapplications were submitted lastAugust, totaling over $27million. The Arizona

Legislature appropriatedapproximately $10 million tothe A WPF from the stateGeneral Fund for the firstfunding cycle. The Commissionselected 24 grant recipients attheir November meetings,totaling $6,861,490.

Grants were awarded forprojects in eight counties withinArizona. The area of the statethat had the highest number ofprojects selected was CochiseCounty , where six projects willbe located. Other counties withmore than one selected projectincluded Yavapai (4), Pima (4),Maricopa (2), Coconino (2), andApache (2). One project wasselected in each of the followingcounties: Pinal, Graham, Gila,and Santa Cruz.

Applications eligible forfunding were divided into threegeneral categories: (1) Water

Acquisition, Capital Projects,and Other Measures; (2)Research and Data Collection;and (3) Water Conservation.Approximately 95% of the totalfunding (over $6.5 million) wasawarded for 15 projects withinthe Water Acquisition, CapitalProjects, and Other Measures

onstration projects) and devel-opment of water conservationtechniques. The Commissionreceived only four applicationsfor funding within this cat-egory .The Commission did notselect any of the applications inthis category for funding.

According to TriciaMcCraw) A WPF Program Man-ager) the second funding cycle(FY 96) should be initiated thisspring. Ms. McCraw anticipatesthat grant application manualsfor FY 96 will be available fordistribution in April or May.For more information contactT ricia McCraw at the ArizonaDepartment of Water Resourcesin Phoenix at (602) 417-2400ext.7310.

category .Projects within thiscategory are designed to "en-hance the quality of Arizona's

riparian ecosystems by restoringappropriate physical site condi-tions." Types of projects whichare eligible for funding underthis category include acquisitionof Central Arizona Project(CAP) water or effluent, water-shed based or riparian area pro-tection/ restoration plans, up-grading wastewater treatmentplants, and developing con-structed wetlands.

Nine (9) projects totaling$351,702 were selected for fund-ing within the Research andData Collection category .Grantfunding for all projects withinthis category are limited to 5%of annual funding. The statedgoal of research projects is to"improve our understanding ofhow changes in water quantityand quality influ~n.ce func::tion,structure, composltlon, or mteg-rity of Arizona's riparian eco-systems or how human-relatedactivities influence changes inwater quantity or quality."

Projects eligible for fundingunder the final funding cat-egory , Water Conservation,must have a "goal of ultimatelyenhancing the quality of Ari-zona's riparian ecosystems bymaintaining their water supply,through basic research, educa-tion, development or implemen-tation of water conservationprograms." Types of projectswithin this category includepurchase of water conservationequipment, conservation dem-

~

..

..

T he Tenth Anniversary Meeting of theArizona Riparian Council will be heldFriday and Saturday, Apri112-13, 1996.Restoration of Riparian A reas is the theme

of the meeting which will be held at the PrescottResort in Prescott, Arizona. This meeting marksthe Council's ten year anniversary and somespecial activities have been planned. Onsiteregistration for the meeting will be from 8 to 10AM on Friday. The morning plenary session willbegin at 9 AM with three invited speakers talkingon various aspects of riparian restoration. WilliamC. Hunter, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicein Atlanta, Georgia, initiated the formation of theArizona Riparian Council. He will speak aboutthe Partners in Flight program and the restorationefforts for various bird species. Mike Scott withthe National Biological Survey in Fort Collins,Colorado, will speak on geomorphologicalprocesses for natural reestablishment of nativeriparian vegetation. Robert Beschta from theCollege of Forestry, Oregon State University,Corvallis, Oregon, will provide an ecologicalperspective for undertaking restoration efforts thatare directed at the improvement of riparian/aquatic ecosystem functions.

Lunch will be at the Prescott Resort and isincluded in the registration cost. Technical paperswill be presented in the afternoon. A brief businessmeeting will conclude Friday' s meeting agenda.Included in this meeting will be the election ofPresident, Vice President, and one Member-At-Large. Currently, Ruth Valencia is running forPresident and Marie Sullivan is running for VicePresident. Since Marie is running for Vi~ePresident, her remaining two years of Member-At-Large position will also be up for election. Allmembers are eligible to become officers, so if you

are interested or would like to nominate someone,please contact Matt Chew at (602) 542-2148.

A special anniversary banquet has been plannedfor Friday evening at the Prescott Resort. Alongwith good food, Duncan Fatten will be our dinnerspeaker. Duncan was the first President of theCouncil and held that position for first five years.He will tell us about the "good old days" andabout some of the restoration projects he hasworked on. A silent auction has also been plannedto help raise funds for the Council. The itemsbeing auctioned will be on display during themeeting on Friday. The highest bidders will beannounced after dinner during the evening'sentertainment. We have arranged for Les Izmore,a band playing original and classic blues and folkmusic, to play after the banquet. This will providean opportunity for you to renew old acquaintancesand make new friends. Please bring your spousesand significant others and plan to attend.

A field trip is scheduled for Saturday to look atvarious riparian areas around Prescott. Field siteshave not been confirmed at this time.

Those who preregister for the meeting this yearwill receive a free commemorative lOthAnniversary Arizona Riparian Council mug.These mugs will also be available for purchase atthe meeting. We also plan to have new T -shirts forsale. The preregistration form should be insertedinto your newsletter, if not, contact Cindy Zisnerat 602-965-2490 to get a copy. Please make youhotel arrangements early as this area has hightourism. Double or single occupancy room ratesare $75 at the Prescott Resort and their reservationnumber is 1-800-967-4637. There are also otherhotels and motels in the area (contact Cindy Zisnerfor a list).

WE HOPE TO SEE MANY OF YOU THERE.

PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND THIS VERY SPECIAL MEETING!

ARC EDUCATIONAL EVENTSCindy D. Zisner , Education Committee

./1September 1994 (Cindy Zisner andfamily) the display was at DeadHorse Ranch State Park for VerdeRiver Days. In February 1995, weagain attended the Deer ValleyHigh School EnvironmentalEducation Fair and Easter weekend(April 15 and 16, 1995) weparticipated in the Phoenix Zoo'sCelebrate Nature weekend a effInwood, Kathy Killian, Ron Tiller ,Cindy Zisner and family). The Zooprovided materials for us to helpchildren make cattails and we werekept very busy. We were alsoinvited to attend an Earth Day fairbut just were not able to do so. OnMay 18th, we participated in theNavajo Nation Education Fair inWindow Rock (Roy Jemison) and,tentatively, this will be held againon May 10, 1996. In September1995, we were back at Verde RiverDays in Cottonwood (Kris Randalland Cindy Zisner). On October 5-6, 1995, we shared a booth withthe Center for EnvironmentalStudies (pat Chase and CindyZisner) at the Arizona ScienceTeachers Association Conventionin Mesa. We have also been invitedto attend the Arizona WildlifeFederation's Walk for Wildlife onFebruary 10, 1996.

Thanks to all of you who havevolunteered. If anyone is interestedin exhibiting the display or knowof any upcoming events, pleasecontact Cindy Zisner at (602) 965-2490 or e-mail at cindydz@asu.edu.

s you all know, thenewsletter you are

~ reading is one of ourgreatest educational

tools. However. We also havefact sheets available on Riparian,Functions and Values, andWater .Very soon a fourth sheetwill be available concerningflooding. Our sheets have beenrequested by many state, tribal,and federal agency offices, inaddition to schools and TheNature Conservancy Preservesthroughout Arizona. In fact, oursheets are used in the RiparianEcology Education Program atthe Hassayampa Preserve (seearticle page 1). We have alsobranched out of state to NewMexico through Gila Watch andhave had our fact sheets travel asfar as Austin, Texas, Missoula,Montana, and Juneau, Alaska.

The fact sheets are alsodistributed when we attendenvironmental fairs. Those ofyou who have attended ourannual spring meeting are awareof our tabletop display aboutriparian areas. When we first hadthe display, T anna Thornburgput the photos together andexhibited it at many educationalfairs. In addition to T anna,Marty J akle, Diane Laush, andKris Randall have exhibited it forthe Council at the Deer ValleyHigh School EnvironmentalEducation Fair, Verde RiverDays, and a Scenic BywayDedication (Bureau of Land

Management).Through the help of

volunteers we attended severalfairs in 1994-95 that you'reprobably not aware of. In

Tbe Arizona Riparian Council 11 1996 Vol. 9, No.1.-~ -

ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM

U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, PHOENIX OFFICE

t -f his program was restore once they are degraded. In order to be eligible for

initiated in 1993 to Based on the above priorities, funding under this program a-examine opportunities the best candidates for project must meet the following

for using existing protection under priority 1 are criteria:Central Arizona Project (CAP) areas of high resource valuefunding authorities to benefit having a high probability of, -

fish and wildlife, within the being negatively impacted andPhoenix Office's service area. which are part of a larger ,Projects emphasize wetland and important landscape unit.riparian habitats enhancements. Priority 2 projects emphasizeThere are three priority those with a high probability ofobjectives that guide the promoting the full recovery ofprojects proposed under this functional habitats orprogram: (1) protection of ecosystems; e.g., placing waterintact, ecologically important back into a stream, controllinghabitats and/ or ecosystems; (2) overgrazing, and restricting off- Irestoration of ecologically road vehicle impacts. Theimportant habitats and/ or priority 3 projects focus onecosystems; and (3) creation of developing habitat resources to If you would like furtherecologically important habitats. meet a local need. Examples information about the projects

The highest priority is given include, creating habitat by or the Environmentalto protection of intact habitats converting agricultural fields Enhancement Program, contactand ecosystems because it is and irrigation water into a Marty Jakle at 602-807-6763;recognized that high value wetland/riparian area, or FAX 870-6788; or email athabitats (including riparian and developing habitat along with MJAKlF;1aBR8GW8).USBRGOV.wetland habitats) are difficult to groundwater recharge.

~ a local sponsor must be

willing to assume at least50% of the capital costsassociated with constructionand implementation;

~ a local entity must be willing

to assume responsibility forthe operation andmaintenance of theenhancement project; and

~ the project must be linked to

some feature of the CAP .

VOLUNTEER CORNER t

T hiS is a new feature for our newsletterwhich will appear dependent uponrequests. Please send any volunteer re-quests to the Editors; plan appropriately

as this newsletter is only three times a year .Thank

you.The U .S. Forest Service) Pleasant Valley Ranger

Distict is seeking volunteers for the following

partnerships.Adopt-A-Riparian Zone and assist in the

management of a riparian zone. Volunteers areneeded for the following locations.

Canyon Creek -conduct routine maintenanceof exclusion device; conduct riparian interpretativesessions on holiday weekends.

Haigler Creek -conduct routine maintenanceof exclusion devices; install vehicle barrier devices

to delineate parking areas within the HaiglerCanyon Recreation Site.

Reynolds Creek- construct exclusion devices toprotect nparlan zone; construct new access toCircle Trailhead and obliterate existing access.

Workman Creek -conduct routine maintenanceof exclusion device and seed disturbed areas; assistin developing recreation sites.

Design and fund a display on Recreation andRiparian Management for the Canyon Creek FishHatchery Visitor Information Center and a displayfor the Workman Creek area.

If you are interested or have questions, please-contact Howard S. Okamoto, Pleasant ValleyRanger District, PO Box 450, Young, AZ 85554 orphone 520-4632-3311.

LEGAL ISSUES OF CONCERN

Chris Vamos, Law Offices of Kane jorden von Oppenfeld Bischo.lJ & Biskind, P.L. C.

EFFLUENT-DoMINATED ECOSySTEMS RECOGNIZED IN ARIZONA'S PROPOSED

MODIFICATIONS TO SURFACE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS

navigable water has a broad defi-nition and includes such areas asrivers, streams (including inter-mittent and ephemeral streams)and their tributaries, lakes, wet-lands, arroyos, prairie potholes,playa lakes, and all waters "theuse, degradation, or destructionof which would affect or couldaffect interstate or foreign com-fierce." (40 Code of FederalRegulations § 122.2.) The CW Atoday has a potential impact onalmost any parcel of land thathas virtually any drainage fromit or on which significantamounts of standing water mayoccur. In Arizona, a commonlyused, although somewhat mis-leading, starting point is that any"blue line" appearing on a u.s.Geological Survey quadrangle isa water subject to cw A jurisdic-tion. Other washes may be wa-ters if they have a discerniblewater course with well-definedchannel banks and connect to a"blue line" through an unbrokenseries of such water courses.(This rule, commonly known asthe "tributary" rule, comes froma famous Arizona case, u.s. 'VPhelps Dodge Gorp. ) In addition,waters used by migratory birdsas habitat also may constitutenavigable waters. The final deter-mination of whether a wash is a"water" is made by EP A and theArmy Corps of Engineers.

An interesting regulatorytwist occurs when a water is

T he Clean Water Act(CW A) requires statesto set surface waterquality standards to pro-

tect navigable waters withintheir jurisdiction. Water qualitystandards for a given water arederived by considering the desig-nated uses for that water, andthen establishing narrative stan-dards, numeric pollutant concen-trations, or in some cases bothcriteria sufficient to protectthose use-associated designations.At least once every three years,states must review their currentstandards and revise or adoptnew standards consistent withthe CW A. This "triennial re-view" must be submitted to theEnvironmental ProtectionAgency (EP A) for approval be-fore the new standards can be-come effective in the state. Cur-rently, Arizona is revising itssurface water quality standardsand preparing to submit thesestandards to EP A for approval.One new standard which Ari-zona has proposed is adoption ofless stringent water quality stan-dards for effluent-dominatedwaters demonstrating ecologicalbenefit.

Before we begin our discus-sion of net ecological benefit, itmay be helpful to discuss exactlywhat waters are "navigable" andfall within the CW A's jurisdic-tion. "Navigable water" is by nomeans a literal term.l In fact,

effluent-dominated. An effluent-dominated water is defined aswater consisting primarily ofdischarges of treated wastewater .(See Arizona AdministrativeCode R18-11-101(21).) often-times, effluent flows may createor support certain forms ofaquatic life, wildlife, and riparianor wetland habitat. If overlystrict surface water quality stan-dards were promulgated to pro-tect these ecosystems, high treat-ment costs associated with com-pliance might encourage thepoint source discharger to com-pletely eliminate the discharge ofeffluent, possibly resulting in thetotal loss of the effluent-depend-ent ecosystem that is created bythe discharge! Thus, setting toostrict a protective standard canaCtually cause destruction of thevery ecosystem the standard wasdesigned to protect!

Arizona has recognized theimportance of maintaining theseeffluent-dominated riparian andaquatic habitats, and the ArizonaDepartment of EnvironmentalQuality (ADEQ) is seeking abalance between standards suffi-cient to protect these ecosystemsand the public health and envi-ronment. Therefore, in this tri-ennial review, Arizona has pro-posed to modify its surface waterquality standards to allow con-tinued effluent discharges atarguably "less protective" con-taminant levels when it can be

for effluent-dependentecosystems in areasdemonstrating a net ecologicalbenefit will support ecosystemssuch as the riparian areadownstream of the 91st AvenueWastewater Treatment Plant inPhoenix, and at the same timewill continue to protect thepublic health and environment.For more information onArizona' s .triennial review,contact Chris Vamos at (602)955-9200 or Steve Pawlowski atADEQ's Rule DevelopmentSection at (602) 207-2227.

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demonstrated that there is a "netbiological benefit" associatedwith the continued discharge ofsuch effluent. If removal of theeffluent would cause moreenvironmental damage thanallowing it to continue, the

.discharger may be able todemonstrate that the effluent isproviding a "net ecologicalbenefit."

Before the state will adopt aless stringent water qualitystandard to support the effluent-dominated habitat, the followingmust be demonstrated: (6)

(1) ENDNOTES

(7)

(2)

quality standard exceedthe environmental costsassociated withelimination of thedischarge and destruction

oftheeffluent-dependentecosystem;The discharge of effluentto the surface water willnot cause or contributeto a violation of a waterquality standard that hasbeen established for adownstream surfacewater;All practicable pointsource control dischargeprograms, including localpretreatment, waste min-imization, and sourcereduction programs are

implemented;The discharge of effluentwill not produce orcontribute to theconcentration of apollu~ant in the .tissues ofaquatic organisms orwildlife that is likely tobe harmful to humans orwildlife through foodchain consumption.(3)

The discharge of effluentcreates or supports anecologically valuableaquatic, wetland, orriparian habitat in anarea where suchresources are limited;The cost of treatment tocomply with a waterquality standard is sohigh that it is more cost-effective to eliminate thedischarge of effluent tothe surface water;The discharger mustdemonstrate that it isfeasible to completelyeliminate the dischargeof effluent which createsor supports the habitat;The environmentalbenefits associated withthe discharge of effluentunder a modified water

Arizona has proposed aninnovative new standard thatseeks to recognize theuniqueness of its aridenvironment and adaptiveecosystems. Promulgation ofarguably "more appropriate"surface water quality standards

1. Because the term "navigable"has different meaningsdepending on whether one isspeaking literally about "nav-igability" or speaking legally,e.g., as the term is used in theCW A, Arizona is proposingto replace the term "navigablewater" with the term "surfacewater" in its current triennialreview. Arizona believes thatits definition of "surfacewater" is equivalent to theUderal "navigable water"definition.

2. This exact situation led theCity of Prescott to stopdischarging its treated waste-water into Watson Lake. Thehabitat lost from theelimination of the effluent~ has never been regainOO.

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NOTEWORTHY PUBLICA TIONS

Pat Ellsworth and Ron Tiller

This revised edition includeschapters on environmentaleducation) waste management,pollution control) wildlifemanagement) parks andoutdoor recreation. There isalso job-hunting informationsuch as required education)internships) and career

strategies.

ofland use. UniversityCalifornia Press. 359 pp.

Biosystems Analysis, Inc.1995. Life on the edge: aguide to California'sendangered naturalcommunities: wildlife. Bio-Systems Books, Santa Cruz,CA. 586 pp.

This book discussesCalifornia's 115 threatenedand endangered species andchronicles severalconservationist's personalstories of recovery efforts.Native American legends andartwork, plus extensivehistorical discussions areincluded.

This book provides anoverview of the physical andbiological processes that shapeCalifornia's rivers andwatersheds. The authorintroduces basic principles ofhydrology andgeomorphology and appliesthem to an understanding ofthe differences in character ofthe state's many rivers. Hebuilds on this foundation byevaluating the impact onwater ways of different landuse practices. $19.95.

LaRoe, E. T ., G. S. Farris,C. E. Puckett, P. D. Doran,and M. J. Mac (eds.). 1995.Our living resources: areport to the nation on thedistribution, abundance,and health of u.s. plants,animals, and ecosystems.u.s. Department of theInterior, National BiologicalService, Washington, D.C.530 pp.

Environmental DataResearch Institute. 1994.Environmental Grant-making Foundations: 1995Directory .750 pp.

Engineering-Science, Inc.1994. Analysis of waterquality functions of riparianvegetation. ArizonaDepartment ofEnvironmental Quality .pthoenix, AZ.

This report compiles forscientists, managers, and thelay public, information onmany species and theecosystems on which theydepend. As a first step towarda consistent, large-scaleunderstanding of the statusand trends of these resources,this report brings together forthe first time a host ofinformation about ournation's biological wealth,highlighting causes forcomfort and concern.

This guide to 600independent, community , andcorporate foundations thatgive environmental grants isextensively cross-referenced.The profile for eachfoundation includes theorganization's history andphilosophy, the applicationprocess, sample grants, andlimitations.

This document reviews andsynthesizes the literature andlays out the basic frameworkfor looking at water qualityfunctions of wetland and

riparian ecosystems.Information is providedregarding the types of func-tions and roles of riparian andwetland vegetation affectingor controlling surface waterquality .Copies are availablefrom the Arizona Departmentof Environmental Quality .Contact Publications at 602-207-2202 for moreinformation.

Environmental CareersOrganization. 1993. TheNew Complete Guide toEnvironmental Careers.Island Press. 364 pp.

Mount, J. F. 1995.California rivers andstreams: the conflictbetween £1uvial process and

The Arizona Riparian Council 15 1996 Vol. 9, No.1-

The Arizona Riparian Council (ARC) wasformed in 1986 as a result of the increasingconcern over the alarming rate of loss ofArizona's riparian areas. It is estimated that< 10% of Arizona's original riparian acreageremains in its natural form. These habitats areconsidered Arizona's most rare naturalcommumtles;

The Arizona Riparian Council

Officers

502) 207-4510;02) 345-9558;02) 965-2490;02) 870-6763

Kris Randall, President. Ruth Valencia, Vice President. Cindy Zisner, Secretary Diane Laush, Treasurer.

The purpose of the Council is to provide for theexchange of information on the statusprotection, and management of riparian systemsin Arizona. The term "riparian" is intended toinclude vegetation, habitats, or ecosystems thatare associated with bodies of water (streams orlakes) or are dependent on the existence ofperennial or ephemeral surface or subsurfacewater drainage. Any person or organizationinterested in the management, protection, orscientific study of riparian systems, or somerelated phase of riparian conservation is eligiblefor membership. Annual dues Ganuary-December) are $15. Additional contributions are

gratefully accepted.

At-Large Board Members

MattChew (602)542-2148Russ Haughey (602) 981-9400 ext. 222Marie Sullivan (602) 640-2720

Committee Chairs

This newsletter is published three times a year tocommunicate current events, issues, problems,and progress involving riparian systems, toinform members about Council business, and toprovide a forum for you to express your viewsor news about riparian topics. The next issue willbe mailed in January with the deadline forsubmittal of articles May 1, 1996. Please call orwrite with suggestions, publications for review,announcements, articles, and/ or illustrations.

Classifi cati o n/In ven toryRoy Jemison (520) 556-2182

EducationCindy Zisner (602) 965-2490

Land UseMartyJakle (602) 870-6764

Pro tecti o n/Enhan cemen tVacant

Water ResourcesJeff Inwood (602) 263-9522

Jeff lnwoodc/a ASL

1130 E Missouri #110Phoenix AZ 85014

(602) 263-9522or

Cindy D. ZisnerCenter for Environmental Studies

Arizona State Universitypa Box 873211

Tempe AZ 85287-3211(602) 965-2490

FAX (602) 965-8087E-Mail: cindydz@asu.edu

Riparian Ecology Education Project Teacher Institute. February 24-25, 1996,Hassayampa River Preserve, Wickenburg, Arizona. Contact vat Little, PreserveManager, (520) 684-2772.

Wetlands Conservation and Management. March 31-Apri13, 1996, Orlando Marriott,Orlando, Florida. Contact Workshop Coordinator, Ellen Barros, FAX (508) 362-5335.

Arizona Riparian Council lOth Anniversary Meeting. April 12-l3, 1996, PrescottResort, Prescott Arizona. Contact Cindy D. Zisner at (602) 965-2490 about registration.

The Annual Conference on Ecosystems Restoration and Creation. May 16-17,1996,Sponsored by Hillsborough Community College, Institute of Florida Studies, Tampa,Florida. For more infomlation, call (813) 757-2104.

Wetlands '96: Forming Fair and Effective Partnerships. July 9-12, 1996, Key BridgeMarriott, Washington, D.C. Contact the Association of State Wetland Managers. POBox 269, Beme, NY 12023-9745; (518) 872-1804; FAX (518) 872-2171.

BT51005Arizona Riparian CouncilCenter for Environmental StudiesArizona State UniversityPO Box 873211Tempe AZ 85287-3211

I

ARlZOM ~TATE UNIVERSITY