Monthly Archives: February 2019

Mark your calendars: AZGFD Expo is March 30-31

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PHOENIX — The largest hands-on outdoor recreation expo in Arizona is coming soon! Dates are set for the Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo presented by Shikar Safari Club International. Come out Saturday, March 30 and Sunday, March 31 to the world famous Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix. Admission and parking are free!

Check out our amAZing wildlife tent, which has been a huge attraction the past few years. You’ll have the opportunity to see live “ambassador animals” from the department’s Wildlife Center and learn fun facts.

As always, there will be plenty of hands-on fun for all ages like family fishing tanks, archery with a twist, and other shooting sports in a safe, supervised, controlled environment on the range. Get a feel for specialty shooting disciplines like clay target, cowboy action, practical pistol, black powder, and air gun. Check out the many firearms manufacturers, including some new brands this year.

Don’t miss the always popular cowboy mounted shooting competition. See OHV and ATV exhibits. Give kayaking a try at the “Lake Paddlemore” kayaking pond.

Hike a field course and learn cool camping tips. Learn about boating and how to stay safe on the water. Talk to experts about Arizona’s wildlife, fishing, hunting and more. Visit with more than 160 exhibitors, including outdoor recreation and conservation groups, government agencies, and commercial vendors of outdoor products and services.

The department will auction off its annual collection of wildlife assets at the Expo. Sets of antlers, hides, skulls and head mounts, as well as wildlife artwork and taxidermy – all seized during law enforcement investigations, obtained from animals killed in vehicle collisions, or acquired through donations – will be put on the auction block both days. Funds generated from the auction are used to purchase equipment and technology used in the investigation of wildlife crimes and to protect the state’s wildlife resources.

Concessionaires will have food and beverages available for purchase, and many accept only cash — ATMs will be on site. There is a nominal charge for ammunition at some of the target shooting venues.

Expo hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 31. The Outdoor Expo is easy to find, located on Carefree Highway, about 1/2 mile west of I-17 in Phoenix.

See more information about the 2019 Expo.

Potential unpermitted discharge of treated water from Pecan Water Reclamation Plant into Queen Creek

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) was notified by EPCOR on February 20, 2019 that an unpermitted discharge of treated effluent may be necessary from the Pecan Water Reclamation Plant into Queen Creek (the wash). Recent cool and wet weather has decreased demand for treated effluent used in irrigation, which has increased water levels in the recharge basins where the effluent is stored. To prevent a potential berm failure and/or overtopping of these basins, EPCOR determined a controlled release into Queen Creek may be required. This potential discharge does not impact Johnson Utilities’ drinking water systems and is not a release of untreated sewage into the environment.

The treated effluent, also known as recycled water, is typically used for non-potable applications, including for irrigation of golf courses and common areas within a community or in ponds at the facility to recharge the aquifer. The use of recycled water in a community is indicated by purple pipes and signage cautioning against contact with standing water and/or to not drink. If you have contact with standing water, wash hands thoroughly. ADEQ confirmed samples taken in January 2019 inside the plant meet water quality standards for A+ effluent.

A previous unpermitted discharge from the facility between January 9 and 17, 2019 totaled 15.36 million gallons. A permitted discharge of this kind would be required to do additional monitoring for surface water quality standards as determined by an Arizona Pollution Discharge Elimination System (AZPDES) permit. During the previous discharge, ADEQ sampled the water and results showed the discharge met applicable surface water quality standards. If another discharge is necessary, ADEQ confirmed that ECPOR will conduct sampling for applicable surface water quality standards.

The Pecan Water Reclamation Plant is located at 38539 N Gantzel Rd in San Tan Valley. To manage future flows, EPCOR continues working to increase recycled water capacity for local irrigation districts and farmers. EPCOR was appointed by the Arizona Corporation Commission as the interim manager for Johnson Utilities in August 2018.

Kaibab National Forest announces March archaeology month events

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WILLIAMS — This March, the Kaibab National Forest will continue its more than decade-long tradition of offering stimulating presentations and outdoor excursions in the Williams area as part of Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month.

On Wednesday evenings throughout March, experts will present a series of lectures starting at 6 p.m. at the Sultana Theatre in Williams covering topics such as the preservation and rehabilitation of the historic 1911 Kendrick Mountain Lookout Cabin, the history of railroads in the Williams area, historic aircraft navigation arrows in northern Arizona, and a film recognizing the Arizona heroes of World War I.

On all five Saturdays in March, Kaibab National Forest archaeologists will lead fun and educational hikes to the Keyhole Sink petroglyph site near the Parks community starting at 2 p.m. The Keyhole Sink Trail offers a short, relatively flat hike to a scenic box canyon where prehistoric residents left their mark carved into the canyon’s gray volcanic walls. Those wishing to participate in the hikes should call in advance for reservations to (928) 635-5600.

“Archaeology month is one of my favorite times of the year because it gives us the opportunity to share the historic and cultural treasures of the Kaibab National Forest with so many people,” said archaeologist Neil Weintraub. “Those who get to experience these special places and resources end up being some of our greatest partners in preserving them.”

Archaeology month is intended to generate understanding of and support for the state’s archaeological heritage. Celebrations and events focus on promoting the preservation of archaeological resources and illustrating ways the public can help in protecting and appreciating them.

For detailed information about the Kaibab National Forest archaeology month offerings in the Williams area, visit the March 2019 Archaeology Event Calendar. To reserve a spot for either a lecture or hike, contact the Williams Ranger District at (928) 635-5600 or email Weintraub at nweintraub@fs.fed.us.

Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Snow cat Utilized in Medical Emergency

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FOREST LAKES – Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Snow Cat and Search and Rescue volunteers were utilized to transport a patient from Young, AZ to waiting ambulance to a hospital in Payson, AZ.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office had deployed and pre-positioned a Snow Cat with a Search and Rescue crew to Forest Lakes in preparation for the heavy snow fall. The crew and machine were in place to respond to and support the communities of Forest Lakes and Heber in Navajo County.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office coordinated with the Forest Lakes Fire Department over deployment of the Snow Cat. Forest Lakes Fire would support the operation with housing the crew and placing paramedics on the snow cat. Forest Lakes Fire had coordinated with surrounding Fire Departments and ambulance companies of the added resource of the snow cat.

Around 8:00 PM the Pleasant Valley Fire Department and Life Line Ambulance responded to a diabetic emergency in Young, AZ. Life Line Ambulance, knowing they could not make it to the call due to impassable roads, contacted Forest Lakes Fire requesting the snow cat response. The search and rescue crew with Forest Lakes Fire paramedics responded near Young.

The Snow Cat and crew traveled approximately 12 miles towards Young during heavy snow fall with visibility down to 10 feet. They arrived at the patient shortly after 10:00 PM where Pleasant Valley Fire transferred the patient to the Snow Cat and paramedics.

The crew traveled the 12 miles back to State Route 260, then transported the patient another 6 miles to ColCourd Camp Ground in Gila County (between Forest Lakes and Payson) and transferred the patient to Life Line Ambulance. Life Line was able to transport the patient to a hospital in Payson.

The Forest Lakes Fire Department, Pleasant Valley Fire Department, Life Line Ambulance, United States Forest Service Law Enforcement, Gila County Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office deputy and Search and Rescue volunteers were involved in this operation

The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all the agencies for their pre-planning, communication, coordination and participation in making this operation and response a success.

Recent Snow Related Rescues – Reminder for Winter Recreation and Travel Preparedness

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FLAGSTAFF – CCSO Photo

– On February 17 at approximately 2:00 pm the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an adult skier and an adult snowboarder, both from the Phoenix area, who were lost outside of the Arizona Snowbowl Ski Area boundary. An approximate location was determined from their 911 call which indicated that they were east of Viet Springs at the top of a cliff. Two deputy sheriffs and the Search and Rescue Unit responded to the call and hiked into the pair’s location. Once on scene the skier and snowboarder were provided with some water and snowshoes and then escorted out to the Viet Springs trail head on Snowbowl Road. Neither the skier nor the snowboarder was prepared for conditions outside of the ski area boundary. The area was under a winter storm warning at the time of the incident which made the conditions potentially more hazardous for both the subjects of the search mission and the rescuers. The pair was reunited with family members on Snowbowl Road.

Skiers and snowboarders who plan to exit the ski area and ski or ride in the backcountry are required to have a free Kachina Peaks Winter Backcountry Permit issued by the US Forest Service at their offices or at the Agassiz Lodge Bar on weekend days. Backcountry users need to be aware that the backcountry is not regularly patrolled, and no avalanche mitigation is conducted outside of the ski area boundary. All winter backcountry users should carry equipment for backcountry travel including food, water, navigation equipment, headlamp, emergency shelter material, extra warm clothing, first aid kit, knife or multitool, fire starting kit or backpacking stove, and whistle for signaling. If traveling in avalanche terrain an avalanche transceiver, a backcountry shovel, and an avalanche probe should be carried. A trip itinerary detailing the travel plans should be left with a trusted person.

With the upcoming winter storm, skiers and snowboarders will be tempted to exit the ski area boundary to ski or ride in the backcountry. A large amount of snow over a short period of time presents a potential avalanche hazard. It is best to wait at least a day or two after a heavy winter storm before entering the backcountry. Skiers and riders who plan to enter the backcountry should have avalanche education which can be obtained through the Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center (www.kachinapeaks.org). Additionally, the Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center publishes weekly Snowpack Summaries which discuss the snowpack on the peaks and potential hazards for backcountry travel.

After completing the mission near the Snowbowl, Search and Rescue responded to the Skinner Ridge area east of Tusayan to rescue two stranded motorists and a dog. The motorists, from Minnesota, had been following their vehicle GPS from the Tusayan area to Cameron and the GPS indicated that they should take Forest Road 302 and Forest Road 301A. The forest roads were snow covered and snow removal is not conducted on those roads. As they traveled they slid off of the road and became stuck and unable to free the vehicle. Due to the winter storm affecting the area, conventional vehicles could not access the area. Search and Rescue responded to the location using two tracked vehicles. The motorists and their dog were provided with transportation to Tusayan where they obtained a hotel room.

The Search and Rescue Unit would like to remind motorists to not blindly trust vehicle GPS or smartphone mapping tools when traveling. It is important to pay attention to road signs and road conditions to determine if the route suggested is a practical one. In many cases, especially in the winter, the GPS and smartphone apps do not take into account the weather or road maintenance and many motorists following those apps become lost or stranded due to the conditions.

Seven-mile stretch of Lake Mary Road (FH-3) to close due to snowstorm

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FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino County Public Works Department will close a seven-mile stretch of Lake Mary Road, also known as Forest Highway-3 (FH-3), at 4 p.m. today, Feb. 20 due to high winds and drifting snow from a large snowstorm that will impact the area starting tonight.

During this closure traffic will detour along the West Side Mormon Lake Road, which loops Mormon Lake and goes through Mormon Lake Village.

The closure will be in effect at the north entrance of Mormon Lake (near the scenic overlook) to the south entrance of Mormon Lake, which is about 35 miles southeast of Flagstaff. This section of Lake Mary Road will remain closed until weather conditions allow for the County to safely reopen the roadway.

The closure is due to high winds and drifting heavy snow caused by wind. When drifting occurs, visibility becomes limited and there is an increased difficulty for snowplow operators to keep the road clear of snow. To ensure the safety of drivers, they will be detoured along the alternate route through Mormon Lake Village.

A Winter Storm Warning from the National Weather Service is in effect from 11 p.m. Wednesday until 5 p.m. on Friday, February 22. Total accumulations from this storm are forecast to be between 13 and 25 inches of snow around 7,000 feet with locally higher amounts approaching three feet of snow in some areas of the County. County Public Works crews will remain deployed to keep County roadways open and passable.

Snowfall during this storm is expected to be heavy and periods of blowing and drifting snow may lead to whiteout conditions with near zero visibility. Heavy snowfall will create dangerous travel conditions during this storm.

For questions about snow removal operations and related road conditions, please contact the following:

Coconino County: For County maintained roads, please call Public Works at 928-679- 8300 during normal business hours (7 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.).

Big storm Thursday

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WILLIAMS – A winter storm watch has been issued by the NOAA starting Wednesday night and running through Friday during the day. There is a possibility of 17″ to 28″ through Friday night. High winds are expected through out the period.

2″ to 4″ is expected to fall overnight Wednesday. 9″ to 13″ is expected Thursday during the day with 5″ to 9″ overnight. Friday during the day 1″ to 2″ more is possible clearing over Friday night. Flagstaff is predicted to have a few inches less than Williams over the same period.

8.5″ of snow from the last storm.

That, of course, is not the end of the story. The snow may be heavy at times so city crews may not be able to start snow removal until Friday at the earliest.

Starting now, it is time to get extra water and food for your family and animals. By Sunday travel should be getting back to normal. If you have no where to go, however, it might be a good idea to stay home.

The last storm left a beautiful blanket of snow, but made forest roads bad.

If you have extra power packs to recharge phones and pads, you may want to charge them up. Charge any batteries you have for alternate forms of communications. Get extra batteries for flashlights and radios. Anticipate power and cell phone outages.

Mystery of world record solved?

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PHOENIX — Have the redear sunfish at Lake Havasu really gone quagga crazy? Have these panfish that really can fill a pan, and are widely regarded as one of the better fish species to eat, found a surplus of invasive quagga mussels to munch?

A mystery remains: Redear sunfish at Havasu have been reaching world record sizes. But why, exactly? Let’s dive into this piscatory puzzle.

Five years ago, “panfish” took on a new meaning.

We’re at the time of year when Lake Havasu tacked its world-record pin on the fishing map. On February 16, 2014, Hector Brito caught a 17-inch, 5.78-pound world-record redear sunfish on a dropshot-rigged nightcrawler.

“I didn’t expect the record to last this long,” Brito said. “It’s amazing.”

This 45-mile fishing wonderland created by the Colorado River on the western-most strip of Arizona, adorned like a leather belt by the regal London Bridge, allows an angler to fish from the beach on the Arizona side and see the California mountains on the other. Some of those anglers said they witnessed a dramatic increase in the sizes of redear sunfish from 2009-2014 that — coincidence or not — occurred after invasive quagga mussels were first discovered in 2007 at Havasu.

In 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) did a study about the effects of redear and bluegill on quagga populations and found these sunfish do consume quaggas. Even more, the redear reduced quagga numbers by as much as 25 percent. The experiments of the study were conducted in field enclosures of Lake Havasu, as well as in the BOR’s Boulder City, Nevada Fish Lab. See the updated report.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department can’t verify that redear sunfish, also known as “shellcrackers” because of their pharyngeal teeth (teeth in their throat) that allow them to crush crustaceans such as snails, are reaching unprecedented sizes due solely to quaggas as an additional food source. Other biological factors include Havasu’s food base of grass shrimp and redswamp crawdads.

Regardless, Havasu is home to some of the biggest shellcrackers on the globe.

Kaibab National Forest kicks off third year of citizen science project

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Photo of a burrowing owl that was submitted as part of the Kaibab National Forest’s iNaturalist citizen science project. – Kaibab Forest Photo

WILLIAMS — Forest Service biologists are inviting eager naturalists, outdoor enthusiasts, and amateur scientists to join the citizen science team and help in documenting the plants and animals that inhabit the Kaibab National Forest. At the beginning of the year, forest specialists launched the Kaibab NF 2019 Citizen Science Project through the free online iNaturalist platform so that visitors can share pictures of flora and fauna they’ve discovered on the forest.

This is the third year that the Kaibab National Forest has promoted an iNaturalist citizen science project, and the observations recorded are helping to improve forest managers’ understanding of the abundance and distribution of species.

Photo of the Typocerus gloriosus beetle that was submitted as part of the Kaibab National Forest’s iNaturalist citizen science project. – Kaibab Forest Photo

“iNaturalist is an amazing platform that was created to document biodiversity throughout the world,” said Natasha Kline, forest biologist on the Kaibab National Forest. “While we’ve scaled it down to the forest level for our project, these observations are both improving forest management practices and wider scientific knowledge.”

When Kaibab National Forest visitors capture photos of plants or animals and share them through iNaturalist, they are contributing to a global biodiversity database. The iNaturalist platform shares findings with scientific repositories to help scientists around the world find and use data. They are also contributing to understanding species closer to home, as Kaibab National Forests biologists are monitoring project-specific findings and participating in helping to identify and confirm local discoveries.

Since the start of this citizen science effort, visitors and employees have made more than 5,000 observations across the Kaibab National Forest. This has included more than 800 different species of plants, birds, insects, mammals, reptiles, fishes and more. Unsurprisingly, due to its abundance in northern Arizona, ponderosa pine holds the top spot for most observations. Other discoveries, however, have proven much more telling about current forest conditions, leading to the potential to help inform future management approaches.

“We didn’t have any physical documentation regarding burrowing owls in the forest,” Kline said. “We’ve had verbal reports of people seeing them but not much else. Over the course of our citizen science projects, though, we have now received two photos of burrowing owls near the end of the breeding season. These kinds of unique observations, when verified, can lead to important scientific documentation.”

The Kaibab National Forest’s citizen science effort has also led to at least one rather remarkable discovery. In 2017, iNaturalist user “birding4fun” posted images of a distinct-looking beetle that turned out to not only be rare but also have no previous photographic evidence in the scientific literature. The insect was identified by a beetle expert on the platform as a Typocerus gloriosus beetle, one of the rarest longhorn beetles in the United States. The observation earned iNaturalist’s “Observation of the Week” title and caught the attention of a variety of media outlets.

Whether rare or common, observations shared as part of the Kaibab NF 2019 Citizen Science Project can help inform forest and wildlife management and provide information about species that might not have previously been known. The iNaturalist platform assists managers by documenting the presence of rare or introduced species so that actions can then be taken to help protect or eradicate them.

Forest managers encourage those interested to “See, Snap, and Share” their Kaibab National Forest discoveries through iNaturalist as part of the citizen science effort. iNaturalist offers the free app for both the iPhone and Android, which makes uploading observations easy. Through the platform, forest visitors can record and organize nature findings, meet other nature enthusiasts, and learn about the natural world.

“These citizen science projects enhance the visitor experience while providing the Kaibab with valuable information about our resources,” said Mark Christiano, GIS coordinator for the Kaibab National Forest. “In 2019, I’m looking forward to creating more educational and outreach opportunities for forest visitors, showing them how they can use iNaturalist to learn more about our forest’s amazing plants and wildlife. I’m hoping to encourage visitors to explore trails and document their fantastic observations.”

Through connecting different perceptions and expertise of the natural world, iNaturalist seeks to create extensive community awareness of local biodiversity and promote further exploration of local environments.

County offices closed in observance of Presidents Day

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FLAGSTAFF — All Coconino County administrative offices will be closed Monday, Feb. 18 in observance of Presidents Day.

While the administrative offices at the Sheriff’s Office will be closed, Dispatch, Patrol and Detention will be open. Records will be open on Monday Feb. 18, from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., with limited staffing. Please dial 9-1-1 for emergencies. For non-emergencies, dial 928-774-4523 to connect with the non-emergency Dispatch number or to leave a message for one of the administrative offices.

In the event of a snow storm or other impactful weather during the holiday, County Public Works crews will be deployed to keep County roadways open and passable.

Coconino County’s parks and natural areas will remain open during the holiday, but administrative offices at Fort Tuthill will be closed and limited staff or services will be available. The Fort Tuthill Bike Park is currently closed. Please do not sled on the Fort Tuthill Bike Park or you will damage the features which were built specifically for cyclists to hone their skills on jumps and flow trails. Drinking water has been turned off at all parks, but bathrooms are still available at Raymond, Peaks View and Sawmill County Parks. Water and bathrooms are available at Louise Yellowman County Park, located in Tuba City.

Coconino County Public Health Services District (CCPHSD) Animal Management will have an officer on duty Monday, Feb. 18 from 7 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Contact the CCPHSD Animal Management office at 928-679-8756, leave a message and an officer will respond.