Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study – Existing Conditions Analysis

1.0 Project Description
The purpose of the Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study (LMWBMS) is to
provide a comprehensive flood control protection program. Furthermore, it will
develop floodplain management protocol, which will affirm public safety, fiscal
responsibility, habitat preservation and a balanced multi-objective approach to
managing the watersheds, floodplains and resources in the study area. The goal
of the current study is to identify flood and erosion hazard areas and drainage
problems, and identify cost-effective solutions to alleviate or manage floodwaters
in the Lee Moore Wash watershed study area.
The Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study area encompasses
approximately 213 square miles, or 136,319 acres in southern Pima County.
Generally, the study area is bounded by Sonoita Highway to the east, Coronado
National Forest and the Santa Rita Experimental Range to the south, Old
Nogales Highway to the west, and Old Vail Connection Road and Interstate 10
Freeway to the north.
This Existing Conditions Analysis report of the Lee Moore Wash Basin
Management Plan identifies and describes current physical characteristics of the
study area, as well as future plans for the region.

Pima County Flood Control District
Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study

1

Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study – Existing Conditions Analysis

2.0 Jurisdictional Boundaries
The Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study area is composed of six various
jurisdictional entities, including Pima County, City of Tucson, Town of Sahuarita,
Santa Rita Experimental Range, Coronado National Forest, and the San Xavier
District / Tohono O’Odham Nation. The unincorporated areas within the Pima
County jurisdiction encompass the majority of the study area. The City of Tucson
has annexed the northern portion of the study area, including annexations in
2001 of 17,286 acres south of Interstate 10 Freeway and 1650 acres south of the
Tucson International Airport. The Town of Sahuarita, which includes160 acres of
the Lee Moore Wash study area, plans to eventually expand easterly beyond
current corporate limits. The southern reaches of the study area include the
foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains located within the Coronado National Forest
and the Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER). The SRER consists of 53,159
acres (12,580 acres within the study area), which was established in 1903 by the
Federal government to protect native rangeland from grazing and to conduct
research on livestock production. Today, the SRER is administered by the
University of Arizona as an outdoor laboratory available to various research
organizations and scientists.
The area associated with the Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study
contains the following approximate distribution of jurisdictional entities:
● Pima County

87,249 acres or 136.3 square miles

64.0%

● City of Tucson

25,620 acres or 40.0 square miles

18.8%

● Santa Rita Exp. Range 12,580 acres or 19.7 square miles

9.2%

● Coronado Nat. Forest

7.2%

9820 acres or 15.3 square miles

● Tohono O’Odham Nation

890 acres or

1.4 square miles

0.7%

● Town of Sahuarita

160 acres or

0.3 square miles

0.1%

136,319 acres or 213.0 square miles

100.0%

Total

The jurisdictional boundaries of the study area are displayed on Figure1 of this
report.

Pima County Flood Control District
Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study

2

Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study – Existing Conditions Analysis

3.0 Land Ownership
The majority of land ownership (67%) within the Lee Moore Wash Basin
Management Study area is controlled by governmental entities, including the
State of Arizona (54%) and the U.S. Federal government (10%). The U.S.
government holds title to the Coronado National Forest, San Xavier District /
Tohono O’Odham Nation land, while the U.S. Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) ownership includes 1,190 acres situated within three sections of land in
the vicinity of the intersection of Sahuarita Road and Wilmot Road. The U.S.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) ownership also includes 1,270 acres
immediately west of the Coronado National Forest. The State of Arizona
ownership includes 61,860 acres of state trust land, as well as 12,580 acres
within the Santa Rita Experimental Range. The Arizona State Land Department
plans and manages the state trust lands, which over the long-term are sold at
public auction for residentially zoned properties, or leased for commercial parcels
with proceeds benefiting the public school system.
Land ownership within the Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study area is
comprised of the following approximate ownership distribution:
● State of Arizona
(State Trust Land)

61,860 acres or 96.6 square miles

45.3%

● State of Arizona
12,580 acres or 19.7 square miles
(Santa Rita Exp. Range)

9.2%

● USA
(Coronado Nat. Forest)

9,820 acres or 15.3 square miles

7.2%

● USA/BLM, etc.

2,490 acres or

3.9 square miles

1.8%

● USA
(Tohono O’Odham Nation) 890 acres or

1.4 square miles

0.7%

● Pima County

2,940 acres or

4.6 square miles

2.2%

● City of Tucson

1,340 acres or

2.1 square miles

1.0%

44,399 acres or 69.4 square miles

32.6%

● Private
Total

136,319 acres or 213.0 square miles

100.0%

The ownership boundaries of the study area are also illustrated on the previously
referenced Figure 1.

Pima County Flood Control District
Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study

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Jurisdictional Boundaries
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Stantec Consulting, Inc
201 North Bonita Avenue Ste. 101
Tucson, AZ 85745-2999

Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study – Existing Conditions Analysis

4.0 Existing Land Uses
The majority of the land within the Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study
area is managed by governmental entities and presently undeveloped. The
private land holdings have developed as rural residential and limited areas of
suburban residential land uses. The rural residential land uses typically consist
of four acre-sized lots within unrecorded ‘wildcat’ subdivisions dispersed
throughout the study area. The suburban residential land uses are concentrated
near the intersection of Sahuarita Road and Houghton Road. This area includes
the Sycamore Springs subdivision located along the southern side of Sahuarita
Road, and features residential lots of 2 acres in size and considerable open
space areas. Master planned communities in the region include Santa Rita
Ranch located southeast of the Sahuarita/Houghton intersection, and Rancho
Sahuarita situated immediately west of the study area. Both master planned
communities include a variety of single-family detached residential lot sizes.
Existing zoning also reflects the rural residential ambiance associated with the
study area. The prevalent zoning district is Rural Homestead, RH, which allows
rural residential development of 4.13 acre minimum-sized lots, with a maximum
building height of 30 feet in the City of Tucson and 34 feet in Pima County.
Higher residential density zoning districts are limited to the Houghton Road
corridor and existing residential development near the intersection of Sahuarita
Road and Houghton Road. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the land uses and zoning
classifications within the Lee Moore study area.
Recreation facilities within the Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study area
offer both passive and active recreational activities, including the Coronado
National Forest located in the southeast portion of the study area. Pima County
maintains the Southeast Regional Park (3,004 acres), just south of the Interstate
10 Freeway and Houghton Road interchange, and contains the Pima County
Fairground and Tucson Raceway Park. In addition, Sahuarita District Park
provides active recreational opportunities north of Sahuarita Road along the
western boundary of the study area.

Pima County Flood Control District
Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study

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Future & Existing Developments

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Rezoning and Special Area Policies Part 2
Recorded Subdivisions

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Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study – Existing Conditions Analysis

5.0 Proposed Land Uses
Future development within the Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study area
must comply with the various jurisdictional land use plans, including the Pima
County Comprehensive Plan, the City of Tucson General Plan, and the Town of
Sahuarita General Plan, as shown on Figure 4.
The Pima County Comprehensive Plan Rincon/Southeast Subregion designates
future land uses for the study area as primarily Low Intensity Rural residential,
with a maximum density of 0.3 residences per acre (rac). The plan also
designates higher residential densities for proposed and existing master planned
communities within the study area. The proposed Swan Southlands/Verano
master planned community of approximately 3,200 acres, located along South
Swan Road and South Wilmot Road in the northwest portion of the study area, is
designated for Medium Intensity Urban residential land uses with a maximum
density of 10 rac. The 18,945 acres located east of the Town of Sahuarita along
the northern and southern side of Sahuarita Road is designated Low Intensity
Urban residential, with a maximum density of 0.3 rac and a minimum 50% natural
open space requirement. The Hook M Ranch/BLM property of 1,900 acres
located northeast of the Sahuarita Road and Kolb Road intersection is planned
for Low Intensity Urban residential at 3.0 rac, and the existing and proposed
suburban residential area surrounding the Houghton Road and Sahuarita Road
intersection is designated for Medium Intensity Urban residential uses with
densities up to 10 rac.
The City of Tucson General Plan Rincon/Southeast Subregional Plan adopted in
1995 and amended in 2005 covers approximately 400 square miles where the
Harrison/I-10 plan area and the Houghton Road/Dawn Drive plan area are
located in the northern portion of the Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study
area. The Harrison/I-10 plan area covers approximately 10,600 acres and is
generally located south of the Interstate 10 and Rita Road interchange, west of
the Melpomene Road alignment, east of the Craycroft Road alignment, and north
of the Dawn Road alignment. This plan land use designations reflect current
zoning, and the majority of the area is planned Low Intensity Rural which is
consistent with the large expanses of RH zoning (minimum 4.13 acre sized
residential lots) and Medium Intensity Rural. The Houghton Road/Dawn Drive
plan area comprises approximately 3,500 acres located north and south of
Interstate 10, situated between Houghton Road along the west and Colossal
Cave Road on the east. The area south of Interstate 10 is planned Low Intensity
Rural and Medium Intensity Rural, which corresponds to the existing RH zoning
(minimum 4.13 acre sized residential lots) and RX-1 zoning (minimum 36,000
square foot sized residential lots) within the area.

Pima County Flood Control District
Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study

8

Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study – Existing Conditions Analysis

The Town of Sahuarita General Plan adopted in 2002 established a sphere of
influence beyond current corporate limits extending easterly into the western
portion of the Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study area.

Pima County Flood Control District
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Proposed Land Uses

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Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study – Existing Conditions Analysis

6.0 Environmentally Sensitive Lands
Environmentally sensitive lands, including riparian habitat resources, biological
corridors, historic and cultural sites within the Lee Moore Wash Basin
Management Study area have been designated for conservation purposes by
various jurisdictional plans.
The Pima County Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan (SDCP) initiated in 1998
and adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2001 is a long-range conservation
plan that seeks to protect and enhance the natural and cultural environment.
The planning efforts focused on six elements, including Habitat Corridors,
Cultural Resources, Mountain Parks, Ranch Conservation and Riparian
Protection. Pima County’s plan is structured to reflect the natural system through
the conservation of large landscape reserve areas, including parks, preserves
and riparian resources in order to provide protection of endangered and
vulnerable species.
The Pima County Conservation Land System and Riparian Resources elements
of the SDCP identified biological resource areas and corridors throughout the
Lee Moore Wash Basin Study area, as shown on Figures 5 and 6 in this report.
According to the Conservation Land System policies, Important Riparian Areas
have the highest level of biological resources and should retain 95% of their
existing resources, while the Biological Core Management Areas located
primarily in the southeast portion of the study area should retain 80% of their
biological resources.
Pima County’s Watercourse and Riparian Habitat Protection ordinance has
designated and mapped ‘regulated riparian habitat’ including Important Riparian
Areas and Xeroriparian habitats within the study area as shown on the Riparian
Habitats exhibit (Figure 6). Important Riparian Areas are valued for their higher
water availability, vegetation density and biological corridors, whereas
Xeroriparian habitats are generally associated with an ephemeral water supply.
The Xeroriparian habitat is further divided into four subclasses for Class A, B, C,
and D habitat based upon vegetative volume.
The City of Tucson in 2006 prepared the Preliminary Draft Habitat Conservation
Plan (HCP) that includes the Southlands sub-area, of which 25,620 acres of city
annexed land is situated within the Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Plan
area. The City’s HCP is intended to promote conservation of natural resources
while providing for future growth, as well as complement other regional
conservation planning efforts such as Pima County’s SDCP. The primary
component of the HCP Southlands conservation program is the protection of
habitat within the Petty Ranch and Fagan watersheds.
Harris Environmental Group Inc. has prepared an inventory of previouslyrecorded cultural resources and surveys within the study area.
Pima County Flood Control District
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Stantec Consulting, Inc
201 North Bonita Avenue Ste. 101
Tucson, AZ 85745-2999
RD

Lee Moore Wash
Basin Management Study
_______________
Figure 6
Riparian Habitats
!

Tucson

Tohono O'Odham Nation

!

!

Legend
Study Area

!

Springs

Riparian Habitat - Pima County Ord. 2005-FC2
Important Riparian Areas

Pima County
!

!

Hydromesoriparian or Mesoriparian

!

Xeroriparian A
Xeroriparian B
Xeroriparian C

!

Sahuarita

Xeroriparian D

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Printing Date: 2/11/2008

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Stantec Consulting, Inc
201 North Bonita Avenue Ste. 101
Tucson, AZ 85745-2999

Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study – Existing Conditions Analysis

7.0 Regional Transportation
In 2002, the Pima Association of Governments (PAG) initiated an extensive 3year planning effort to develop a new long range transportation plan for eastern
Pima County and the Tucson metropolitan area, known as the 2030 Regional
Transportation Plan (RTP).
The RTP process included input from
representatives of Pima County, the Cities of Tucson and South Tucson, and the
Towns of Marana, Oro Valley and Sahuarita, as well as the region’s Tribal
representatives resulting in the identification of critical issues related to land use
and transportation planning. The PAG 2030 RTP immediately identified the
need for further study of the southeastern portion of the County, including the
Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study area, and in 2003 PAG commenced
the Southeast Area Arterial Study. The purpose of this 18-month Southeast Area
Arterial Study was to recommend a Major Streets and Routes Plan for an area
roughly bounded by I-19 Freeway on the west, Valencia Road and I-10 Freeway
to the north, State Route 83 to the east and the Santa Rita Experimental Range
and Coronado National Forest on the south side of the study area.
The existing and proposed arterial highway corridors for the region as designated
by the PAG 2030 Regional Transportation Plan and the PAG Southeast Area
Arterial Study are illustrated on Figure 7. The plans include the improvement of
east/west arterial highway corridors of Old Vail Connection Road, Dawn Drive,
Pima Mine Road, Andrada Road and Sahuarita Road, while the north/south
arterials include Country Club Road, Swan Road, Wilmot Road, Rita Road and
Houghton Road.
The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Plan approved by voters in May of
2006, features roadway improvements, public transit upgrades and other safety
improvements to the regional transportation infrastructure during the next 20
years. The RTA plan includes the purchase and preservation of right-of-way for
Pima Mine Road, Sahuarita Road and Swan Road arterial corridors within the
Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study area, and the improvement of
Wilmot Road and Houghton Road within phase 2 of the RTA plan.
The northern portion of the Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study area is
impacted by the Davis Monthan Air Force Base Approach and Departure
Corridor and the Tucson International Airport Noise Zones, as depicted on the
Regional Transportation exhibit (Figure 7). The Davis Monthan Air Force Base
Approach and Departure Corridor mainly affects properties located near the
Interstate 10 Freeway and Houghton Road interchange by limiting residential
development and requiring sound attenuation measures in new construction.
Similarly, the Tucson International Airport Noise Zones require specific land uses
to provide sound attenuation measures, including additional building insulation to
reduce the interior noise levels within new structures.

Pima County Flood Control District
Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study

14

!

Lee Moore Wash
Basin Management Study
_______________

Country Club Rd

!

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Figure 7
Regional Transportation Plans

!

Swan Rd

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Wentworth Rd

Houghton Rd

!
!
!

!
Andrada Rd

Legend

Wilmot Rd

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!

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Study Area

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Service Interchange

Conceptual Alignments

Sahuarita Rd

Arterial (150-foot ROW)
Parkway (300-foot ROW)
Parkway (150-foot ROW)

!

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Dawson Rd

Alignments to be Determined

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Arterial (150-foot ROW)
Parkway (300-foot ROW)
Parkway (150-foot ROW)

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Pima County

Stantec Consulting, Inc
201 North Bonita Avenue Ste. 101
Tucson, AZ 85745-2999
File: W:\active\185120071\GIS(directory)\project\transportation corridors.mxd
Printing Date: 2/11/2008

Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study – Existing Conditions Analysis

8.0 Existing Drainage Conditions
The existing drainage setting of the Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study
area has been the subject of two previous studies. In 1988, a watershed-wide
study was performed by the Pima County Department of Transportation and
Flood Control District, Planning Division that employed hydrologic modeling
utilizing the U.S Army Corps of Engineers HEC-1 Flood Hydrograph program.
More recently, a study funded by the Arizona State Land division is in the
process of being prepared by URS, identifying peak flow impacting existing State
Land holdings using the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) regression equation.
The Lee Moore Wash watershed area is generally comprised of eight tributaries
draining to Lee Moore Wash, varying in size from a few square miles to in excess
of 30 square miles. Specifically, these watercourses have been designated as
Gunnery Range Wash, Sycamore Canyon Wash, Fagan Wash, Cuprite Wash,
Petty Ranch Wash, Flato Wash, Summit Wash, and Franco Wash. The overall
Lee Moore drainage area consists of approximately 197 square miles, with the
headwaters situated to the southeast within the Santa Rita Mountains and/or
associated alluvial fan and foothill areas. With the exception of Franco Wash,
watercourses generally drain west-northwest to the Lee Moore Wash, which
ultimately discharges to the Santa Cruz River west of the Lee Moore Basin
Management Plan area. Franco Wash discharges directly to the Santa Cruz
River just north of Lee Moore Wash, but is still generally considered as a portion
of the Lee Moore watershed. The major watersheds within the study area are
displayed on Figure 8. Limited FEMA floodplains have been mapped within the
Lee Moore watershed area, and no detailed study areas defining base flood
elevations have been performed to this date. Floodplain areas that have been
mapped are illustrated in Figure 9.
Watercourses within the study area display the full range of channel types typical
of the semi-arid southwest. Within the upstream reaches of the watershed,
mountain valleys are relatively well-defined with distinct watershed boundaries.
Generally, as watercourses discharge from their well-defined mountain valleys,
high sediment loads induce sedimentation and the formation of alluvial fan
deposits along the base of the mountain terrain. Channels within these areas
transition into less-defined watercourses as drainage generally flows westnorthwest. As watercourses drain further into the valley areas, commonly an illdefined network of channels develops which are characterized by channel
avulsion and lateral migration, with potential for diversions and split flow
dynamics. A more detailed description of prevalent flow patterns is provided in
the next section.
The existing development within the project area is primarily rural residential
subdivisions, with minimal roadway and drainage improvements. Growth has
accelerated over the last 10 to 15 years. The existing drainage infrastructure
Pima County Flood Control District
Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study

16

Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study – Existing Conditions Analysis

was documented using Pima County Map Guide, data provided by Pima County,
as well as culvert and bridge locations identified from field survey not referenced
from the previously-noted sources. These data for culvert crossings and bridge
locations were summarized, and their locations are displayed on Figure 10. In
addition to the existing drainage infrastructure, innumerable locations of existing
stock ponds and historic flow diversions were also mapped and identified, and
are also displayed on Figure 10. An extensive survey of available existing aerial
photography was performed during this task. A complete inventory of these
structures may be warranted in the future.
Extensive drainage complaints within the Lee Moore Wash watershed have been
recorded over the last 10 years by Pima County. These complaints were
provided by Pima County staff, and sorted into three general categories;
Flooding, Roadway/Access, and Conveyance/Ponding. These categories were
determined as a result of each complaint’s primary drainage emphasis. With
these efforts, each complaint has been paraphrased with a brief description, and
a comprehensive list of the complaints compiled. The locations of each
complaint within the Lee Moore watershed are displayed on Figure 11. In
general, the complaints attribute flooding in the Lee Moore Wash Watershed to
undersized culvert crossings; development occurring within floodplains and
setback areas; erosion, dumping and excavating within the banks of washes;
poor roadway conditions; flow diversion; and overtopping of the wash channel
during storm events.
Recent newspaper articles from 2005-2006 were retrieved from on-line archives
of the Arizona Daily Star. The articles reported monsoon rains had caused
several flooding incidents within the Lee Moore Wash watershed area,
predominantly along Franco Wash and associated areas near Old Nogales
Highway and Old Vail Connection. Approximately 32 square miles of upstream
watershed area contributes runoff to this location along the Franco and Summit
Washes which drain through these developed areas. This area, known as the
Summit area, has experienced significant population growth in recent years, with
the current population estimated as 4 times the population in 1990. Much of the
growth has occurred with ‘wildcat” development, which typically requires little
regulation relative to permitting along floodprone areas. This circumstance
combined with heavy rainfall events in August of both 2005 and 2006 (and
continuing in 2007) led to flooding of mobile homes, as well as access problems
along private and public roadways. This area is targeted for an individual, more
in-depth study than other areas within the Lee Moore study area, and alternative
interim mitigation measures will be evaluated in order to determine the feasibility
of providing flood relief to these areas as a joint effort between Pima County and
existing residents in the area.

Pima County Flood Control District
Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study

17

Lee Moore Wash
Basin Management Study
_______________
Figure 8
Lee Moore Wash Watersheds

SUMMIT
WASH
WATERSHED

FRANCO
WASH
WATERSHED

PETTY WASH WATERSHED

CUPRITE WASH
WATERSHED

FAGAN WASH
WATERSHED
SYCAMORE
CANYON
WASH
WATERSHED

FLATO
WASH
WATERSHED
Legend
Lee Moore Wash
Watershed Boundary

GUNNERY RANGE
WASH
WATERSHED
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Stantec Consulting, Inc
201 North Bonita Avenue Ste. 101
Tucson, AZ 85745-2999
File: W:\active\185120071\GIS(directory)\project\subbasins.mxd
Printing Date: 2/11/2008

S KOLB RD

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Lee Moore Wash
Basin Management Study

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Existing FEMA Floodplains

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Stantec Consulting, Inc
201 North Bonita Avenue Ste. 101
Tucson, AZ 85745-2999

S KOLB RD

S CRAYCROFT

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Lee Moore Wash
Basin Management Study

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Existing Drainage Infrastructure
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Printing Date: 2/11/2008

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Stantec Consulting, Inc
201 North Bonita Avenue Ste. 101
Tucson, AZ 85745-2999

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Drainage Complaints

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Printing Date: 2/11/2008

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Stantec Consulting, Inc
201 North Bonita Avenue Ste. 101
Tucson, AZ 85745-2999

Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study – Existing Conditions Analysis

9.0 Geomorphic Setting
The Lee Moore Wash watershed is an alluvial basin situated on the western
piedmont of the Santa Rita Mountains and east of the Santa Cruz River. The
basin is within the Sonoran Desert subprovince of the Basin and Range
physiographic province, an area formed by tectonic activity that stretched and
extended the crust forming north-south trending normal faults. A period of
weathering of the exposed bedrock, subsequent alluvial fan formation and filling
of the intermontane basins followed the tectonic activity. Incision of axial streams
which began in the late Pliocene still occurs throughout the Tucson basin. The
Santa Cruz River has experienced substantial downcutting over a geologic time
frame, cutting into its own Quaternary and Tertiary deposits. The lowering of the
Santa Cruz River during the Quaternary period caused the subsequent
downcutting of tributaries and adjacent piedmonts.
Formerly active and
aggrading fan surfaces became isolated, and are currently experiencing
degradation.
The primary geomorphic issues affecting this basin are distributary flow patterns,
headcutting, and local scour and sedimentation issues. The prevalence and
severity of these issues vary with position within the watershed, as the fluvial
geomorphology, landform, and other issues are different across the study area.
Therefore the study area has been divided into four broad geomorphic zones as
shown on Figure 12.
The southernmost zone is the Pediment Zone, a sediment production zone which
is almost entirely composed of weathered bedrock and/or weathered bedrock
covered with a relatively thin alluvium veneer. The hillslopes are typically smooth
and rounded. The transition from the Pediment Zone to the Tributary Piedmont
Zone is a flat landscape dotted with inselbergs. Drainage within the Pediment
Zone is primarily contained within well defined corridors with significant lateral
relief. Drainage channel beds are composed of alluvium generated within the
upstream hillslopes.
Below the pediment in the upland areas of the piedmont are well defined,
tributary flow corridors. These areas make up the Tributary Piedmont Zone
which represents a transition from sediment production to sediment transport.
This zone contains limited areas of rock outcrops, inselbergs, and knobs. The
drainage in this zone is predominantly contained in well defined wash corridors.
The Tributary Piedmont Zone is followed by a vast distributary flow region
defined as the Distributary Piedmont Zone. This zone is the largest zone within
the study area and is a sediment deposition area with undefined flow paths.
Flow is not only contained in large wash corridors, but is also found in smaller
swales on the terraces, as well as uncontained flow on the terraces and
floodplains.

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Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study

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Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study – Existing Conditions Analysis

The distributary flow eventually returns to tributary flow in the northwest end of
the basin. This area is defined as the Incised Zone, or sediment transport zone.
The washes within this zone have developed into significant flow corridors which
are linked to the Santa Cruz River, which has recently downcut due to headcuts
which have moved up the reach (and other processes such as subsidence due to
ground water pumping). The local drainage has responded with entrenchment
and erosion of alluvial fan toes. The headcuts extend a substantial distance into
the Distributary Piedmont Zone.

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Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study

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S KOLB RD

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Lee Moore Wash
Basin Management Study

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Existing Geomorphic Zones

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Stantec Consulting, Inc
201 North Bonita Avenue Ste. 101
Tucson, AZ 85745-2999

Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study – Existing Conditions Analysis

10.0 Hydrogeology
The Lee Moore Wash study area is located in the southern portion of the Tucson
Basin, which is a sub-basin of the Upper Santa Cruz River Basin within the
southern Basin and Range physiographic province. The study area is bound by
the Santa Rita Mountains in the south and south-east, the Franco Wash to the
north and the Santa Cruz River to the west.
The study area lies across a deep sedimentary basin, with depths to bedrock
ranging from less than 400 ft below ground surface (bgs) at the base of the Santa
Rita Mountains, 3,200 ft bgs at the Santa Cruz River, up to 11,200+ ft bgs in the
north-central portion. The upper basin fill material contains the primary aquifer
and is comprised of surficial alluvial deposits overlying the Fort Lowell Formation,
which in turn overlie the Tinaja Beds. These latter two units overlie the lower
basin fill associated with the Pantano Formation.
Surface alluvial deposits constitute the primary material through which water
would recharge from a potential stormwater control basin. The estimated
permeability of soil association layers in the upper 20 to 30 inches below ground
surface range over 2 orders of magnitude from 8.3 ft/day to 0.06 ft/day.
Permeabilities range from moderately rapid in the basin floor, floodplain, alluvial
fans, and relic fan terrace landforms to moderately slow in fans, terraces, and
piedmont plains. That is, there appears to be an inverse relation between the
relative elevation of landforms and the permeability of the soil associations.
Present-day stream channels contain the youngest surficial deposits, which were
laid down by a north-northwest-flowing stream system; deeper, older
stratigraphic units, including the Fort Lowell Formation and the Tinaja beds, were
deposited primarily in closed basin environments (i.e. no interbasin through-flow
drainage) and, hence, may contain more fine-grained materials. Surficial
deposits along streams are 40 to 100 ft thick, and on the average contain
approximately 50 ft of coarse material. The older terrace deposits are more
compacted and cemented than the younger stream deposits, and are therefore
not favorable for groundwater recharge of retained stormwater.
The Fort Lowell deposits consist of 300 to 400 ft of gravel to clayey silt
throughout most of the basin, but the thickness thins toward the mountains. The
formation grades from a silty gravel near the margin of the basin to a silty sand
and clayey sand, with decreasing permeabilities, in the central part of the basin.
Based on 2005-2006 well data, the Fort Lowell unit appears to be fully saturated
in the eastern portion of the study area, and unsaturated in the upper one-quarter
to two-thirds of the unit to the west. Well test data from other parts of the Tucson
Basin indicates that Fort Lowell permeabilities range from 150 to at least 700
gpd/ft2; water supply wells commonly yield 500 to 1,500 gpm, and specific
capacities range from 10 to 100 gpm per ft of drawdown. Although the saturated
portion of the Fort Lowell Formation likely will provide no obstacles to natural or
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Lee Moore Wash Basin Management Study – Existing Conditions Analysis

artificial recharge, lower-permeability layering in the overlying unsaturated zone,
when laterally extensive, may restrict the downward movement of water and
result in perching and lateral spreading.
The Upper Tinaja Beds, which also contain lower-permeability facies, are another
major producing aquifer in the Tucson Basin. Parameters related to the waterproducing capability of the Upper Tinaja Beds are expected to be slightly less
favorable than those presented for the Fort Lowell Formation.
Groundwater flow is toward the northwest, except near the Santa Cruz River
where groundwater levels have been elevated by the implementation of the Pima
Mine Road Recharge Project (PMRRP ) located just west of the study area.
Based on data from 63 wells having water level measurements in both 1995-6
and 2005-6, 3 wells showed no change, 27 wells showed declines between 1
and 25 feet and 33 showed recoveries between 3 and 76 ft (mean recovery of 38
ft) near the PMRRP. Water levels in wells located east of that area range in
depth from 42 to 555 ft bgs and have declined an average of 12 feet in the 10year period.
Regional groundwater levels below riparian habitat corridors identified by Pima
County within the study area are well below the maximum depth (10-30 feet bgs)
typically used by facultative phreatophytes, such as mesquite, which inhabit
these zones. Although the groundwater elevation data in some areas are
sparse, these data indicate that the riparian species in these areas are most
likely supported by seasonal precipitation stored within the vadose zone (i.e.
perched water), and are not connected to the regional aquifer system.

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