Action 1.
Special Board of Supervisors Meeting
Board of Supervisors
- Meeting Date:
- 11/01/2016
- Title:
- Horseshoe Draw Project
- Submitted By:
- Arlethe Rios, Board of Supervisors
- Department:
- Board of Supervisors
Presentation:
No A/V Presentation
Recommendation:
Document Signatures:
# of ORIGINALS
Submitted for Signature:
Submitted for Signature:
NAME
of PRESENTER:
of PRESENTER:
Karen Riggs
TITLE
of PRESENTER:
of PRESENTER:
Highway & Floodplain Director
Mandated Function?:
Source of Mandate
or Basis for Support?:
or Basis for Support?:
Information
Agenda Item Text:
Accept the Horseshoe Draw recharge project into the County’s regional storm water capture project program and assume associated maintenance-related responsibilities, subject to further Board approval of an agreement to acquire, maintain and access the project.
Background:
Work Session Nov 1: Background
Horseshoe Draw Erosion Control Project
Hereford NRCD
Hereford NRCD has received at least two Water Protection Fund grants: Those grants have helped the NRCD to first complete a feasibility study to restore as closely as possible a failed erosion control berm across Horseshoe Draw on the San Jose Ranch. The failure of the berm has led to accelerated erosion, loss of healthy grasslands, increased sediment into the San Pedro River, flooding and repeated damage to Paloma Trail. Paloma Trail is a public easement but not maintained by Cochise County. It is essentially the only access for over a dozen residents south of the Horseshoe Draw crossing. Secondly, the NRCD has completed construction plans and obtained additional private match so that construction can be completed. Environmental permits are also largely in place.
Horseshoe Draw is a large watershed that originates in Mexico and drains to the San Pedro River, joining it south of Highway 92. The erosion control project will curtail erosion above the structure and therefore loss of healthy grasslands. It will also reduce flooding downstream and is estimated to incidentally recharge up to 40 acre feet per year into the aquifer near the San Pedro River.
Cochise County is a founding member of the Cochise Conservation and Recharge Network (CCRN), whose aim is to implement meaningful conservation and recharge projects. We are focusing first in the Upper San Pedro watershed. Extensive studies and engineering by CCRN members indicate that incidental recharge of this project in combination with the Palominas Recharge Project are synergistic, that is they produce a better effect than either one alone on the base flow of the San Pedro River. This site would also be favorable for enhanced recharge activities.
We believe that once constructed, it would make sense to include the Horseshoe Draw project with the other Cochise County recharge projects. This would include the Palominas Recharge Project (built in 2014), Three Canyons property, Riverstone property (preliminary engineering complete) and Bella Vista property (preliminary engineering complete, Phase II engineering underway).
The desired outcome of the work session would be to: accept the Horseshoe Draw recharge project into the County’s regional storm water capture project program and assume associated maintenance-related responsibilities, subject to further Board approval of an agreement to acquire, maintain and access the project.
Horseshoe Draw Erosion Control Project
Hereford NRCD
Hereford NRCD has received at least two Water Protection Fund grants: Those grants have helped the NRCD to first complete a feasibility study to restore as closely as possible a failed erosion control berm across Horseshoe Draw on the San Jose Ranch. The failure of the berm has led to accelerated erosion, loss of healthy grasslands, increased sediment into the San Pedro River, flooding and repeated damage to Paloma Trail. Paloma Trail is a public easement but not maintained by Cochise County. It is essentially the only access for over a dozen residents south of the Horseshoe Draw crossing. Secondly, the NRCD has completed construction plans and obtained additional private match so that construction can be completed. Environmental permits are also largely in place.
Horseshoe Draw is a large watershed that originates in Mexico and drains to the San Pedro River, joining it south of Highway 92. The erosion control project will curtail erosion above the structure and therefore loss of healthy grasslands. It will also reduce flooding downstream and is estimated to incidentally recharge up to 40 acre feet per year into the aquifer near the San Pedro River.
Cochise County is a founding member of the Cochise Conservation and Recharge Network (CCRN), whose aim is to implement meaningful conservation and recharge projects. We are focusing first in the Upper San Pedro watershed. Extensive studies and engineering by CCRN members indicate that incidental recharge of this project in combination with the Palominas Recharge Project are synergistic, that is they produce a better effect than either one alone on the base flow of the San Pedro River. This site would also be favorable for enhanced recharge activities.
We believe that once constructed, it would make sense to include the Horseshoe Draw project with the other Cochise County recharge projects. This would include the Palominas Recharge Project (built in 2014), Three Canyons property, Riverstone property (preliminary engineering complete) and Bella Vista property (preliminary engineering complete, Phase II engineering underway).
The desired outcome of the work session would be to: accept the Horseshoe Draw recharge project into the County’s regional storm water capture project program and assume associated maintenance-related responsibilities, subject to further Board approval of an agreement to acquire, maintain and access the project.
Department's Next Steps (if approved):
Move forward with a formal agreement to be presented to the Board at a later date.
Impact of NOT Approving/Alternatives:
n/a
To BOS Staff: Document Disposition/Follow-Up:
n/a
Fiscal Impact
Attachments
No file(s) attached.