CWA SEPTEMBER 25TH GENERAL MEETING CANCELLED IMPORTANT ADWR MEETING SCHEDULED IN BENSON

The CWA General Meeting for the evening of Sept. 25th is cancelled so that the membership may attend another important meeting on the 25th at 1:00 P.M. at Benson City Hall. Arizona Department of Water Resources will be holding a public workshop to explain how the Legislature assisted local officials seeking to control development in their areas.

"We believe communities should take control of their water futures and determine how and if they will grow," said ADWR Director Herb Guenther. "This law gives them the chance to manage their own destinies. Now it's up to them to make it happen.

Securing a community's future depends on making sure there is enough water to support it."

Under terms of Senate Bill 1575, county supervisors in rural Arizona may adopt ordinances requiring developers of new subdivisions to obtain a finding of "adequate water supply" from ADWR before receiving approval of their plans. Currently, local governments lack the authority to block a development for lack of sufficient water.

The County Board of Supervisors must vote unanimously in flavor of acquiring this authority. In qualifying counties that do not adopt an adequacy requirement, a city or town may adopt an adequate water supply requirement for new subdivisions.

Are the rules for determining adequacy being revised with this new law? Come ask questions as to what the process and public input opportunities are during the next 18 months.

Read Full Press Release

ADWR CONDUCTING WELL SWEEPS IN SUBWATERSHED

During the week of Sept. 10th-14th, ADWR was measuring approximately 100 wells in the subwatershed to determine any seasonal fluctuations within the groundwater system.

The wells identified to be measured are those along the mountain front range from approximately Tombstone to north of Pomerene.

This information will be incorporated into the USGS/ADWR Hydrological Investigation currently being conducted in the Benson Subwatershed.

Click here for study objectives and timeline.

RURAL WATER VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT

The Water Resource Research Center and Cochise County Supervisors are moving forward with a study to better determine the amount of water that is typically used by a home on 4 acres supplied by a domestic well.

The BOS hopes to have a better number than 312 gallons per person per day to utilize when considering requests for rezoning to higher densities.

Two hundred and fifty wells would need to be designated from a larger pool of volunteers so that those participating would be representative of uses across the county.

Meters would be wireless and would be installed on the pressure tank to report directly to a central Internet site for a minimum of fifteen months. The U of A would provide the meters with grant money.

Rural users who would like to volunteer would have to have a dial-up Internet access and have the well located within 200 feet of the house in order to run the connection cable. If the home has a wireless router, the meters can transmit up to a quarter of a mile.

According to researchers, all residents who volunteer will sign an agreement that ensures their rights to privacy. Those wishing to volunteer may call Susan Pater at Cochise Cooperative Extensions: (520) 384-3594 or email: spater@cals.arizona.edu.

Click here for more information as to how the 312 gallons per person per day was determined.

SUPERVISOR RICHARD SEARLE WRITES LETTER OPPOSING FREEWAY ALTERNATIVES
ALONG SAN PEDRO RIVER

The San Pedro Valley continues to be under consideration as alternative routing in an I-10 Phoenix-Tucson Bypass Study being conducted by the Arizona Department of Transportation. Since corridor alternatives aligned with the San Pedro River would significantly impact the Skyline/ Benson/ Cascabel Area, residents and elected officials are speaking out.

In a letter sent to ADOT, BOS Richard Searle states, "I cannot support the proposed Tucson by pass route through the San Pedro Valley. Not only would this have a negative affect on one of the most pristine areas of the State, but I believe this would not be a cost effective proposal."

At a recent Benson City Council worksession, concern was also expressed that these alternatives would not only impact the environment in the Benson area, but would also impact the area economically.

A presentation will be given to the ADOT Board in October. For this reason it is very important that people make comments to ADOT so their comments can be included in this study. In November, ADOT will host another round of public hearings with the final report being submitted to the state transportation board in December.

A goal of the Cascabel Working Group is to present data and arguments about environmental, archaeological, recreational, economic and other features of the Valley that make building an interstate through this route unfeasible or undesirable.

Click here to learn more about the efforts of the Cascabel Work Group:

Click here for a “fast” map of proposed alternatives:

Click here to submit concerns to ADOT:

COUNTY HAS LISTENING SESSIONS SCHEDULED

Cochise County Planning Department has scheduled 13 listening sessions across the county. The facilitated agenda includes a series of thought-provoking exercises and presentations that will explore how the county and its citizens can work together to address community land use change.

During the exercises, communities will:

1) Identify important community assets worth preserving or enhancing.

2) Talk about their hopes for the community as it changes.

3) Identify preferred types of growth.

Residents or interested parties may attend any of the 13 scheduled meetings. However, two meetings are scheduled in the locale:

Saturday 11/17/07 Cochise College Benson 9 A.M.-12 P.M.

Wednesday 01/16/08 Pomerene School 6 - 9 P.M.

Click here for updated information on Envisioning 2020.

Click here for Full Survey:

Click here for County Schedule:

JUST IN TIME FOR WINTER RAINS - LOCAL RAIN HARVESING, LANDSCAPING WORKSHOP

KARTCHNER CAVERNS PRESENTING AT OCTOBER GENERAL MEETING

Mark your calendar for October 25th. Joanne Roberts, Natural Resource Ecologist for Arizona State Parks will be presenting at the CWA General Meeting at 6:30 P.M. at Benson City Hall.

Roberts will discuss Kartchner Caverns efforts to reduce impacts on the watershed, conservation planning, and natural areas values and how that ties into protection of the whole landscape for the San Pedro River.