1. PUBLIC NOTICE | Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Analysis for Pinto Creek
Public Notice No. 16-126
Published in: Arizona Silver Belt on Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Notice Read the Following: The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), in accordance with
Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, has developed a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) analysis for
Pinto Creek located near Superior, Arizona. ADEQ has determined that this stream is impaired for dissolved copper.
Watershed Name Pinto Creek
Information
A TMDL defines the total amount of a particular constituent or pollutant which can be introduced into a water body without causing an exceedance of state surface water quality standards. The TMDL process enlists the participation of stakeholder groups and other interested parties to assist in identifying possible sources of pollution, to allocate loads of those pollutants in accordance with the objectives of the analysis, and to identify the most reasonable measures that should be implemented in order for the stream to achieve surface water quality standards.
Review Documents
Original Published Public Notice | View/Print >
Draft TMDL Document | Download >
Site Specific Standard Report | Download ADEQ
2. One Acre Foot. One acre-foot of water is the volume of water that would cover one acre of land to a depth of one foot. It is also…
43,560 cubic feet
325,851 gallons
2,713,788 lbs (at 70 degrees Fahrenheit)
1,233 cubic meters
Enough water to serve two average Arizona households for one year
Source: CAP
3. Friday is National Endangered Species Day: May 19. To celebrate, the week, the Phoenix botanical garden will highlight different endangered species the Garden cares for. The cactus family is the fifth most threatened group living things and we need your help to preserve it. Save The Cactus and become a Cactomaniac, https://www.dbg.org/cactomania.
Did you know that the cactus family is one of the top five most threatened groups of organisms on Earth? The Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden is committed to help save the cactus and we need your help. Since 1939, the Garden has been working to preserve the desert. In addition, we house and display the world’s finest collection of cacti and desert plants. The Garden invites the community to join Cactomania – the public phase of The Saguaro Initiative (TSI) fundraising campaign.
We’re looking for people passionate about our desert landscape to help the Garden conserve and protect it for generations to come. We honor those who make a donation by automatically registering donors as Cactomaniacs. Becoming a Cactomaniac will open the door to be first to receive Garden news and special offers as well as exclusive invitations and fantastic giveaways only available to Cactomanicas.
By joining Cactomania and contributing, you can help protect cacti and help conserve the wonders of the desert for future generations to enjoy. Construction of our new Horticulture Center is just one example of how the TSI campaign advances desert plant conservation. The Center provides space for propagating plants to support conservation and research goals; the facility also includes a learning lab for classes, workshops and citizen science trainings in support of the Garden’s work with other community partners to study, restore and promote the Valley’s desert mountain parks.
If you would like to become a member, contact the garden at
DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN
1201 N. Galvin Parkway 480 941.122
Phoenix, AZ 85008
4. Clorox: You’ve Seen The Ads, But Are They True? Clorox Wipes and Pathological Germs. Clorox will successfully kill the following with an application and contact lasting at least 10 minutes:
Following is a list of organisms that the proper Clorox Bleach to water ratios can kill
Bacteria
Staphylococcus aureus (Staph.)
Salmonella choleraesuis
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep.)
Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli)
Shigella dysenteriae
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Trichophyton mentagrophytes (can cause Athlete’s Foot)
Candida albicans (a yeast)
Rhinovirus Type 37 (a type of virus that can cause colds)
Hepatitis A virus
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
Cytomegalovirus
Influenza A (Flu virus)
Viruses
Rotavirus
HIV-1 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)*
Herpes simplex Type 2
Adenovirus Type 2
Rubella virus
Fungi
Sources: Oklahoma State University; Food & Agricultural Products Research & Technology Center University of California; UC Food Safety
5. Trump’s Border Wall Could Have Lasting Effect on Rivers, Water Supply. The $20 billion wall proposed to control illegal immigration will have to cross dozens of rivers along the 2,000-mile (3,200km) border with Mexico. Water supply, water quality, flood control, wildlife and groundwater recharge are all at risk.
The giant wall that President Donald Trump wants to build on the border with Mexico will cost billions of dollars, disrupt numerous communities and sever the migration routes of hundreds of wildlife species.
The wall, intended to halt illegal immigration, would also block many rivers and streams. This consequence has not yet been discussed much. The wall itself could restrict water flow important to farms and cities on both sides of the border. This could worsen water pollution and lead to flooding disasters. It might also change groundwater recharge in areas fed by rivers.
All this, in turn, could affect treaties and water-sharing agreements along the border — both internationally and between neighboring communities within the U.S.
The wall has an estimated construction cost of $20 billion. But there are likely to be additional long-term costs from consequences that are difficult to imagine. To help understand these consequences, Water Deeply recently spoke with Bob Irvin, president of American Rivers, an environmental group that works to protect rivers across the U.S., including the Mexico border region.
Bob Irvin: Just to give an example, along the border between Mexico and Texas, the Rio Grande River is the international boundary, and the boundary runs down the middle of the river. So if we’re going to build a wall, we have to decide: Are we going to try to build it in the middle of the river? That’s not a very practical solution. Would we put it on Mexican soil? I doubt Mexico would agree to that. Or would we put it on Texas soil, and cede our right to use the river in that area?
With the type of wall that’s being discussed, along a river you basically are building a dam. It’s a dam that parallels the river [on the Rio Grande]. But in a storm event, what you’re going to have is all the rushing water and debris that’s going to pile up against that wall, probably tearing out sections of it. That’s what is happening along some sections of wall that already exist in Arizona. And you’re just going to have a constant problem with debris piling up and impeding the flow of the river
In addition to that, in the arid Southwest, rivers are literally the lifeblood of the region. So, naturally, wildlife use rivers as corridors to move. And wildlife doesn’t know where an international boundary exists. They just move along a river and if you build a wall along there you’re going to impede those migrations. Some of these species, like jaguars, are endangered and are already in bad shape. Building a wall is just going to make things worse for them.
Irvin: The issue of treaty rights to water between the U.S. and Mexico is a major issue in considering whether to build a wall. For example, on the Colorado River, the river flows across the border when there’s enough water in it. It doesn’t always make it to the Sea of Cortez. In fact, it rarely makes it. Yet we’re obligated to deliver something like 1.5 million acre-feet (1.9 billion cubic meters) of water to Mexico by treaty. If you build a wall there, you’re going to have to have some mechanism for allowing that water to pass through. Then that raises questions about how secure is your wall in the fi rst place.. Read the entire article at https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2017/04/24/trumps-border-wall-could-have-lasting-effect-on-rivers-water-supply
6. Climas Look Back/ Look Forward.
Precipitation
March precipitation totals were average to below average in most of the Southwest. April precipitation to date has been below average for much of southern Arizona. Water year precipitation has been normal to above normal for most of Arizona
March temperatures were much-above average across the entire Southwest, with record warm temperatures in the southeast corner of Arizona. April temperatures have been between 0 and 6 degrees above normal for most of the region.
Snowpack & Water Supply: Warm temperatures across the West (particularly in the Upper Colorado River Basin) have begun to put a dent in the snowpack and snow water equivalent (SWE) values this month, especially in warmer low-elevation areas. Most of the stations in Arizona and New Mexico have dipped to below 50 percent of normal SWE, a decline that is also reflected in the Upper Colorado River Basin region of Utah and Colorado.
Drought: While much of the West has seen improvements in drought conditions. southern Arizona has experienced an increase in drought designation, especially near the borderlands, owing to near-record- to record-warm temperatures and very little precipitation in the last few months. Thus the wetter-than-normal conditions that helped reduce drought conditions across much of the West, provided only short-lived recovery in southern Arizona.
El Niño Southern Oscillation: Current forecasts suggest ENSO-neutral conditions continuing through the spring and early summer, with increasing chance of an El Niño event during the second half of 2017.
Precipitation & Temperature Forecast: The April 20 NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s outlook for April calls for equal chances of above- or below-average precipitation, and increased chances of above-average temperatures across the region. The three-month outlook for May through July calls for equal chances of above- or below-average precipitation in most of Arizona and increased chance of above-average precipitation in New Mexico and the remainder of Arizona , along with increased chances of above-average temperatures across the region.
Arizona Reservoir Volumes
Arizona reservoirs, with the exception of the San Carlos reservoir, are at or above last year’s levels. Reservoirs “Lake Havasu, Verde River System, Lake Mohaveare at near capacity. Arizona’s reservoirs are in pretty good shape for the upcoming summer months. However, we all need to make water conservation a way of life.
Percentage of Normal Precipitation 4/1 to 4/19
ADEQ Launches Stormwater Permitting in myDEQ this June. Register today to obtain, manage or terminate NOIs and submit e-DMRs using myDEQ, ADEQ’s online portal.*
As a myDEQ user, starting this June, you can:
Submit NOIs online at your convenience, 24/7
Instantly receive an NOI Certificate and confirmation emails**
Submit an e-DMR
Receive DMR email reminders so you never miss a deadline
Easily update your information
Register now at: http://azdeq.gov/myDEQ/register
*After May 31, 2017, ADEQ will no longer accept paper applications for Stormwater CGP & MSGP NOIs or NOTs, and Smart NOI will no longer be available online.
**Applies only when a SWPPP review is not required. If a SWPPP is required, it can take up to 30 calendar days for CGP and 32 business days for MSGP to issue an NOI Certificate.
Questions? Email — myDEQ.support@azdeq.gov
What these letters mean: (editor’s explanation)
CGP – Construction General Permit
MSGP- Multi-Sector General Permit
NOI- Notice of Intent
e-DMR- electronic Discharge Monitoring Report
SWPPP – Storm Water Pollution Protection Plan
NOT – Notice of Termination
Smart NOI- Smart Notice of Intent: a web program to determine the cost of your permit (online at https://ptl.az.gov/app/smartnoi/(S(fejs2wviov04zo2bx0p5qyci))/default.aspx)
8. Do You Have A First Aid Kit? Here is what should be in it. Required Minimum Fill in ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2015 Class A First Aid Kits:
- 16 – Adhesive Bandages, 1” x 3”
- 1 – Adhesive Tape 2.5 yds.
- 10 – Antibiotic Treatment Application, 1/57 oz.
- 10 – Antiseptic Applications 1/57 oz.
- 1 – Breathing Barrier
- 1 – Burn Dressing, gel soaked, 4” x 4”
- 10 – Burn Treatment, 1/32 oz.
- 1 – Cold Pack
- 2 – Eye Covering
- 1 – Eye Wash, 1 oz.
- 1 – First Aid Guide
- 6 – Hand Sanitizer, 0.9g
- 2 – Pair Exam Gloves
- 1 – Roller Bandage, 2” x 4 yds.
- 1 – Scissors
- 2 – Sterile Pad, 3” x 3”
- 2 – Trauma Pad, 5” x 9”
- 1 – Triangular Bandage, 40” x 40” x 56”
