Lower San Pedro River Valley Wet/Dry Mapping (6/15-16)

[kingsnake]

Every June, the Nature Conservancy does a survey of the Lower San Pedro river. (I think, the only river in North America which flows northwards, in this case out of Mexico.) Basically volunteers spread out along the length of the river, where access is allowed, or land owners give permission, to check if any / how much water is flowing through the San Pedro and its many tributaries (of which Aravaipa is one). Molly Hanson is the program director, and I asked her if she minded if I posted this here, figuring the more the merrier!

Here's a boring academic article about it: http://azconservation.org/downloads/wet ... rface_flow ;)

Easier to digest map that was generated: http://www.prestonm.com/San_Pedro_wet-d ... _whole.jpg

Here's Molly's information if you want to volunteer to be one of this year's surveyors:

Code: Select all

Molly Hanson
Lower San Pedro River Program Manager

mhanson@tnc.org
(520) 468-8113 (Mobile) 
(520) 620-1799 (Fax) 

nature.org 
     	The Nature Conservancy
Tucson Field Office 
1510 E. Fort Lowell Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85719

So, the 2012 survey will take place on Saturday, June 16. The day prior, Friday the 15th, at the TNC preserve in Aravaipa (near the TH), there will be a training session on how to conduct the survey. Depending on which section you get, and how many people volunteer, total distance travelled is about 3-6 miles.

[burntlizard]

Sounds like an interesting trip, wish I could go. I'll be in the area, but further South. I'm doing a Madera Canyon - Patagonia/Sonoita creek - Cienega Creek trip.

[azbackpackr]

Little Colorado River runs north. Santa Cruz River runs roughly north.
Here are a "few" more:

Athabasca Alberta, Canada, 765 miles
Bighorn Wyoming and Montana, USA, 336 miles
Deschutes Oregon, USA, 250 miles
Eel Northern California, USA, 78 miles
Fox Wisconsin, USA, 200 miles
Genesee New York, USA, 144 miles
Jordan Utah, USA, 45 miles
Little Bighorn, Wyoming and Montana, USA, 80 miles
Mojave Southern California, USA, 100 miles
Monongahela Eastern USA, 128 miles
New Virginia and West Virginia, USA, 255 miles
Niagara Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, 39 miles.
Oswego New York, USA, 24 miles
Otter Creek Vermont, USA, 75 miles
Pend Oreille Washington, USA, 62 miles
Red Minnesota, North Dakota, USA (into Canada), 318 miles
Richelieu Quebec, Canada, 208 miles
Saginaw Michigan, USA, 20 miles.
Saint Johns Florida, USA, 275 miles
San Pedro Mexico (into Arizona), 142 miles
Shennandoah Virginia and West Virginia, USA, 55 miles
Wilamette Oregon, USA, 188 miles
Wallkill New Jersey, USA, length unknown
Youghiogheny Eastern USA, 151 miles

[big_load]

Wallkill New Jersey, USA, length unknown

The Wallkill River runs 88 miles, mostly in NY. It's weird because it parallels many south-flowing rivers. An even stranger one (and even closer to home) is Paulins Kill, which also flows northerly for a good stretch before turning west, then flows southerly into the Delaware almost dead parallel to the north-flowing branch. The first third of its length forms an almost perfect square, which is held open by a tall ridge.

[kingsnake]

Okay, I'm not a geologist ... I'm going by what I was told and probably don't even recall correctly ... plz:

[chulavista]

I live in the area very close to the confluence of the Aravaipa and the San Pedro but I will not be participating. Day job gets in the way!

I know that a couple of years ago bears were sighted there. I also know there are wild turkeys living along the river. Enjoy and watch for wildlife!

Kate

[kingsnake]

I live in the area very close to the confluence of the Aravaipa and the San Pedro but I will not be participating. Day job gets in the way!

If you ever want to hook up for a day hike in the area, let me know.

[chulavista]

Kingsnake, howdy! Nice to meet ya! I see where you own property at Aravaipa, nice to meet an 'almost' neighbor! And did I tell ya I'm jealous??? Near the confluence of the Aravaipa and the San Pedro is as close as I could afford to get to where I actually wanted to be in the canyon.

Well, as far as taking a day hike, dude you are way out of my league. Hubby and I usually hike a couple of hours here and there, but hiking like y'all here do is a long term goal of mine. I'm no where physically capable of doing the kind of hiking you do, and I don't have the gear YET. I want to go into Aravaipa Canyon eventually. I want to go for a serious photography session. I'm an artist, I want to go for reference photos for future paintings. Aravaipa Canyon to me is like no place on earth. I will keep you in mind though!

Thanks!

Kathy Sieloff (Kate)

[kingsnake]

And I think of myself as a lightweight. I guess it is all relative. Hiking in the canyon itself is as benign a hike as there can be short of walking a city park trail. A couple of bottles of water is all you really need if you are only going a few miles in. You can't get lost, and it is flat (except for walking on rocks in the water, so the only real worry is twisted ankles). Even my wife with the really bad feet -- the only wife, not that I have several and she is one of them -- has hiked a few miles into the canyon. But then I only day hike, not camp out.

[outdoor_lover]

but hiking like y'all here

Trust me when I tell you the skill level and physical endurance of the hikers on this site is about as varied as it comes. We come in all shapes, sizes and skill levels....

I'm no where physically capable of doing the kind of hiking you do, and I don't have the gear YET. I want to go into Aravaipa Canyon eventually.

You don't need alot of gear to get started, you can trust me on that one too. I did my first few "official" HAZ hikes with a kmart backpack and bottles of water....Aravaipa is really pretty easy as long as you don't mind getting your feet wet. The first 1/4 mile is the toughest part, and that's just coming out.... As close as you live, you could easily do a quick day hike in there and come back out. The Scenery is good from the get-go. The walking and alot of the Creek crossings are easy. I think the hardest part of the whole thing for me was just getting anywhere since I was taking so many pictures....
With a day hike, you can go in as far as you want or are able to and then just turn around. Very few people that I've seen, do the whole Canyon in one day....We saw alot of people on our way out that looked like they were just doing a nice little day jaunt, with very little gear....If I lived that close, I probably would do that alot too....

[chulavista]

Kingsnake,

Are you going to do this mapping on the lower San Pedro this weekend?

Just a note to anyone who might be going to participate - check for road closures. There are two fires burning right now that are in the path of someone coming this direction from the East Valley. One near Queen Valley had Highway 60 closed a day or two ago, and today Highway 177 between Superior and Ray Mine has been closed until further notice. I don't know what 'further notice' means, but right now other routes would have to be considered. Anyone interested can post here or PM me and I can keep them updated.

Kate

[chulavista]

I think the hardest part of the whole thing for me was just getting anywhere since I was taking so many pictures....

I know this would be my problem, and getting me to leave would be the second!

Thanks!
Kate

[kingsnake]

Are you going to do this mapping on the lower San Pedro this weekend?

Yeah, I am. Thanx for the head's up. I don't suppose the Florence-Kelvin highway is drivable by a 2WD family car? (If it is even open from the fire?) Yeesh, driving through Oracle and Mammoth is a seriously long way around!

[chulavista]

I'll keep checking, I just got word the reason for the closure is due to burnout efforts. The Florence-Kelvin highway is always passable if you go slow, it's bladed. But, traffic from the mine will most likely be going that way in droves, and heavy traffic makes that road washboard pretty bad.

If Hwy 177 is closed just for burnout, it should be reopened in the next 24 to 48 hrs. Stay tuned, I'll post here when it opens.

Here's a link.

http://www.az511.gov/adot/files/

Kate

[azbackpackr]

Okay, I'm not a geologist ... I'm going by what I was told and probably don't even recall correctly ... plz:

Here's the thing: I didn't expect you to know that--it's not your fault. But, the BLM and other people have been spouting that silly misinformation about it being the only north-running river for at least 20 years--way back early on when I first moved to Tucson in the mid 80's they were saying that. Now YOU have the info to set them straight and you can call them on it! I hope you have a good time with the project!!!

In Costa Rica there is Poas Volcano, which has a crater about a mile across, and they tell all the tourists that it's the biggest crater in the world. When I asked my professor why they did that, when clearly it is a bunch of BS, he said "Costa Rica likes to have the biggest and the best natural features."

[chulavista]

I live in the area very close to the confluence of the Aravaipa and the San Pedro but I will not be participating. Day job gets in the way!

I know that a couple of years ago bears were sighted there. I also know there are wild turkeys living along the river. Enjoy and watch for wildlife!

Kate

Well! I was just told that a bear was hit on the highway 77 ~4 miles south of here over the weekend.
It was reported, that there were a sow and cubs on the river previously. So this bear was probably not the only one down there. Be watchful!

Kate

[chulavista]

It was as I suspected - highway 177 is now open again. We have fires popping up all over the state, so it still wouldn't hurt to check for closures.

AND, hubby and I were talking last night - my birthday is in Oct, and we get to go hike Aravaipa! Yay!!

Kate

[azbackpackr]

The thing I really hope kingsnake will report back on is the progress of the introduction of beavers to the river some years ago. I haven't heard much about it in years, but when the animals were first introduced there was a big flurry of news articles about the project. There's a little info about it now when I just googled, it, but maybe you can come up with some more recent info when you go there.

[kingsnake]

I'll keep an eye out. No idea what segment I will end up with though ...

[kingsnake]

I just checked http://www.az511.gov/adot/files/ , and it looks like there are no closures along the main route -- 60, 177, 77 -- from the Valley down to Dudleyville ...