Daily Archives: May 15, 2015

ADEQ Awards $135,850 in Grants to Reduce Polluted Runoff into Upper San Pedro River

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PHOENIX — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today two grant awards totaling $135,850 to Curtis Ranch and Sands Ranch to undertake measures to protect the Upper San Pedro River in Cochise County.

The funds will be used to restore grassland and remove brush. The project work––enhancing more than 3000 acres—will improve ground cover, reduce soil erosion, increase water filtration, and slow runoff containing E. coli, which improves water quality. ADEQ’s models estimate an annual 40 percent reduction in sediments in runoff could be achieved through implementing these measures.

A 17-mile stretch of the Upper San Pedro River from the mouth of Babocomari Creek, a tributary of the San Pedro, to Dragoon Wash is listed as an impaired waterway by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency because of elevated levels of E. coli. Septic tanks and cattle grazing operations in the area are believed to be the source of this pollution.

“This grant money will help restore water quality in one of the most beautiful and important riparian areas in the state,” ADEQ Director Henry Darwin said.

Grant recipient, Curtis Ranch L.L.C. Managing Member Forrest Metz stated, “We welcome collaboration with ADEQ’s watershed initiative to support efforts to improve the water quality of the San Pedro River through the reduction of impairments.”

These grants are two of six in Arizona this year administered by ADEQ’s Water Quality Improvement Grant program (WQIG) to reduce polluted runoff from many different sources. ADEQ’s WQIG program is funded through a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act.

Bellemont gets hit first

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640-15-05-15-11WILLIAMS — A winter storm warning has been issued for northern Arizona as snow and fog is predicted overnight. There is an 80% chance of snow overnight in Williams with a possibility of up to 2-inches. There is a 20% chance of snow and rain Saturday clearing by Sunday. Flagstaff has a 10% better chance of precipitation over the same period.

It appears that Bellemont bore the brunt of the storm today with snow turning to mostly rain in Flagstaff. Snow started to fall in Flagstaff about 4 p.m.
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Williams received mostly rain and fog.

Multi-Agency Response to Injured Hiker in the Area of West Clear Creek

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FLAGSTAFF — On May 10th at approximately 2:30 pm the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit responded to a report of an injured hiker in West Clear Creek. The adult male victim was believed to have a broken leg and was in need of rescue.

The Blue Ridge resident deputy sheriff and the Pine-Strawberry Fire District responded and requested Search and Rescue. The Search and Rescue team responded for a litter carry. Given the time of day and the conditions in the bottom of West Clear Creek it was determined that a helicopter short-haul rescue would be the safest option.

Arizona Department of Public Safety Central Air Rescue in Phoenix responded to the area and a Coconino County Sheriff’s Office SAR volunteer who is trained as a heli-rescue technician boarded the helicopter and performed heli-rappel into the scene.

Once on scene the SAR heli-rescue technician and Pine-Strawberry Fire District personnel packaged the patient on a backboard and then placed him in a Bauman Bag device for the short-haul. The patient and the SAR heli-rescue technician were then short-hauled out of the canyon to the intersection of State Route 260 and State Route 87 where a ground ambulance was waiting for the patient.

This mission was another good example of interagency coordination among northern Arizona responders and the Department of Public Safety Aviation Bureau.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Flagstaff Police Department, and US Forest Service Offer Woods Watch Training and Orientation

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Coconino-County-3FLAGSTAFF — Concerns regarding very dry conditions and the impending Wild Land Fire Season are on the minds of many community members who live in cities and unincorporated areas throughout Coconino County. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Flagstaff Police Department, and the US Forest Service are offering “Woods Watch” training and orientation.

This volunteer program is similar to Neighborhood Watch and is of vital importance in residential areas that interface with forested land. Volunteers are trained to assist local officials in watching for and properly reporting people accessing closed areas or people who are using fire carelessly or against fire restrictions, especially on forested lands.

Woods Watch has been very successful in years past. Volunteers assist Northern Arizona law enforcement officers in watching access points to the forest. By providing additional sets of eyes in our community, Woods Watch Volunteers assist law enforcement officers in keeping unlawful fire activity under check. With the extremely dry and windy conditions our communities often experience, a fire start may spread very quickly endangering lives and property.

This year, we are offering Woods Watch re-certification and new volunteer training on Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 6:00 pm at the Law Enforcement Administration Facility located at 911 E. Sawmill Rd. Citizens who have attended this training in previous years are asked to attend again as a review and to receive updated information. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office will also provide Woods Watch training to our established volunteer groups such as Search and Rescue, existing Neighborhood Watch Programs, and CERT during their regular meetings. The training takes approximately one hour.

The Woods Watch Program is a commitment to join local law enforcement officers with community members to keep our communities and our forests beautiful, safe and free of wild land fires. For any additional questions or information, please contact Gerry Blair of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at 928-226-5089 or Sergeant Margaret Bentzen at 928-556-2300.