Thanks to changes in which water is released from Alamo Dam, the refuge is now described as containing the last extensive native forest and plant community along the lower Colorado River. The stream gradient of the Santa Maria River is about 30 feet per mile. The Bill Williams River is a 46.3-mile-long (74.5 km) river in west-central Arizona where it, along with its tributary, the Santa Maria River, form the boundary between Mohave County to the north and La Paz County to the south. Their efforts culminated in the 1994 endorsement of a new approach to managing Alamo Dam and the issuance in 2003 of a new Water Control Manual by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the dam. The drainage area above Alamo, approximately 4,770 square miles in size, is generally mountainous, and lies in west-central Arizona. A key purpose of the dike is to help prevent sediment from entering the intake channel. The longest segment is between Lincoln Ranch and Planet Ranch, a distance of approximately 23 river miles. The Department implemented an intensive sunfish mechanical removal effort in 2013-2014, and Green Sunfish are no longer present. confluence of the Bill Williams River with Lake Havasu. The heaviest precipitation occurs in the summer, with about one-third of the annual precipitation normally occurring in July and August and one-half during the fall and winter months. In 1969, Alamo Dam was completed to reduce flooding on the Bill Williams River. USACE Modeling Mapping and Consequences Production Center OTHER BILL DETAILS: HR 4924 – The purposes of this Act are– (1) to achieve a fair, equitable, and final settlement of certain claims among certain parties to water rights in the Bill Williams River watershed in the State of Arizona for– (A) the Hualapai Tribe (acting on behalf of the Tribe and members of the Tribe); and | The Big Sandy River, the larger of the two main tributaries to the Bill Williams River, drains an area of about 2,840 square miles. Confirm to delete the comment and any threaded reply messages. The streambed gradients of many of the minor upstream tributaries in the Bill Williams River system are greater than 100 feet per mile. Both cases had devastating effects. |, Join the million supporters who stand with us in taking action for our planet, Get text updates from The Nature Conservancy*, in western Arizona flows approximately 45 miles to the, Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge, Bill Williams River Corridor Steering Committee. Within a couple of decades, most of the forests that lined the Bill Williams had disappeared. (7) BILL WILLIAMS RIVER WATERSHED.—The term ‘‘Bill Wil-liams River watershed’’ means the watershed drained by the Bill Williams River and the tributaries of that river, including the Big Sandy and Santa Maria Rivers. Are you sure you want to copy this resource bag to your iRODS user zone? The longest segment is between Lincoln Ranch and Planet Ranch, a distance of approximately 23 river miles.The climate is typically desert in character over the lower elevations of the basin, with short, mild winters and long, hot summers. Ecologically, the river serves an important function as a wildlife corridor. Unlike most rivers in Arizona, the Bill Williams runs east to west across the landscape. | Terms Of Use | Statement of Privacy | Site Map. +1 this. The lower portion of the river, in the Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge is accessible from the road south of the Bill Williams bridge on Highway 95. The Bill Williams River proper measures approximately 50 miles in length, covers approximately 1,109 mi. Despite wild and baseless claims from some opponents, CRS affirmed River, AZ; (2) a detailed hydro-acoustic survey of Alamo Lake and the Bill Williams Delta in Lake Havasu, to develop a bathymetric map of the lake bottoms, (3) the collection and analysis of sediment cores from Alamo Lake and the Bill Williams Delta in Lake Havasu, and (4) reporting on the linked geomorphic It is a major drainage westwards into the Colorado River of the Lower Colorado River Valley south of Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, and the drainage basin covers portions of northwest, and west-central Arizona. The drainage area consists essentially of broad desert valleys and irregularly distributed ranges of rugged mountains. This resource is shared under the Creative Commons Attribution CC BY. Myers, J. Prepared with assistance from the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center. © 2021 CUAHSI. The longest segment is between Lincoln Ranch and Planet Ranch, a distance of approximately 23 river miles. Drainage Area . In the early 1990s, the Bill Williams River Corridor Steering Committee was formed to help manage water flows from Alamo Dam in a way that could restore habitat downstream, and to resolve conflicts that might arise. The area around Alamo Lake and along the Bill Williams River is home to a number of protected species. Our work has focused on understanding effects of managed high flow releases (a.k.a., pulse flows, controlled floods) from dams along rivers in the lower Colorado River basin. quality, security, or size. The Bill Williams River is a perennial stream, although subterranean in some reaches. Every acre we protect, every river mile restored, every species brought back from the brink, begins with you. BILL WILLIAMS RIVER WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENT ACT - H.R. The Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge protects the lower course of the Bill Williams River, to its mouth at Lake Havasu reservoir, in western Arizona. | Alamo Lake Mercury TMDL October 2012 i This page left intentionally blank. Terms of Use archive format, http://www.hydroshare.org/resource/9169a769c820414ab7413cc34ca628f4, Jason Sheeley The content you have requested to access is not stored in HydroShare, and we can’t guarantee its availability, Global sites represent either regional branches of The Nature Conservancy or local affiliates of The Nature Conservancy that are separate entities. The 6,100-acre Bill Solving them requires not only more energy and resources; it requires a new kind of conservation. Below Alamo Dam, the Bill Williams flows approximately 45 miles through hilly desert terrain before joining the Colorado River at Lake Havasu. Bullard Wash is the largest tributary along this reach. Considered the largest manager of water in the world, such action by the Corps would have the potential to influence the way other dams around the globe are operated. 2-10: USGS Gage 09426000 (Bill Williams River Below Alamo Dam) Hydrograph. Please wait... Be the first one to  Cross-border collaborations bring lasting results to one of America’s last large undammed rivers. You have NO PERMISSION over the resource you are about to remove, which means you CAN NOT add it back later. The goal is not to match exactly the pre-dam conditions, but to restore critical ecological processes, like fish migration on Oregon's Willamette River, or—in the case of the Bill Williams—growing and sustaining cottonwood and willow trees. USGS 09426000 BILL WILLIAMS RIVER BELOW ALAMO DAM, AZ. Available data for this site Click to hide station-specific text Station operated in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Metro Water District of Southern California. Below Alamo Dam, the river flows almost due west to its confluence with the Colorado River. Find us on Github. Surface … The Bill Williams River flows through the wild Arizona desert. The Bill Williams River basin drains most of west-central Arizona, straddling Mohave, Yavapai and La Paz counties (Figure 1). Its watershed contains an area larger than the state of Connecticut. From the confluence, the flow is southwest for about 8 miles on an average gradient of 18 feet per mile to Alamo Dam. 4) Authorizes, ratifies, and confirms: (1) the Big Sandy River-Planet Ranch Water Rights Settlement Agreement (Big Sandy River-Planet Ranch Agreement) entered into by the Hualapai Tribe (Tribe), its members and allottees, the United States as trustee for the Tribe, the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), the Arizona Department of Water … The flow reached its peak on Wednesday morning, and on Thursday areas of Planet Ranch road were closed because of flooding. A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to enter into the Big Sandy River-Planet Ranch Water Rights Settlement Agreement and the Hualapai Tribe Bill Williams River Water Rights Settlement Agreement, to provide for the lease of certain land located within Planet Ranch on the Bill Williams River in the State of Arizona to benefit the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, and to … Work alongside TNC staff, partners and other volunteers to care for nature, and discover unique events, tours and activities across the country. It is a 46.3-mile-long river in west-central Arizona where it, along with its tributary, the Santa Maria River, form the boundary between Mohave County to the north and La Paz County to the south. 2004 Burro Creek is the largest tributary in this reach. Water in the Bill Williams River is connected hydraulically with and recharges the river aquifer, and water in this hydrologic system supports the riparian and wildlife habitat within the refuge, which is operated by the U.S. Clearing deleted resources and updating bag. Perhaps the effects of the dam were most noticeable at the Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge, which was created in 1941 and expanded with assistance from The Nature Conservancy in 1977. Formed by the confluence of the Big Sandy and Santa Maria rivers—just upstream of Alamo Lake – the Bill Williams River in western Arizona flows approximately 45 miles to the Colorado River. 2-11: USGS Gage 09426620 (Bill Williams River near Parker) Hydrograph. 12/16/2014--Public Law. USACE Model Registry Administrator Public Law No: 113-223 facilitates the achievement of a fair and equitable settlement of certain claims within the Bill Williams River watershed among the Hualapai Tribe, the U.S. Department of the Interior acting on behalf of itself and as trustee for the Tribe, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, and Freeport McMoRan Minerals Corporation. (2018). The Bill Williams River is a perennial stream, although subterranean in some reaches. 2.10 “Bill Williams River Watershed” shall mean the watershed drained by the Bill Williams River and all of its tributaries, including, but not limited to, the Big Sandy and the Santa Maria Rivers, as depicted on the map attached hereto as Exhibit 2.10. In years of severe flooding, the gates at the dam were left open for months at a time, releasing a steady, high level of water that left the habitat downstream completely inundated. Automation makes irrigation more efficient and leaves more water in the Verde River for agriculture and for nature. The climate is typically desert in character over the lower elevations of the basin, with short, mild winters and long, hot summers. The dam, located in a watershed that's subject to both long droughts and large floods, significantly changed the woodland habitat downstream from the dam. The driest time of the year is later spring. It is the diversity of habitats found on the Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge that sustains one of the highest diversity of wildlife and plant species within the lower Colorado River watershed. The 400-acre Havasu NWR burn will be adjacent to Topock Marsh, in cattail marshes between Sacramento Wash and the Colorado River Levee Road. Explore the latest thinking from our experts on some of the most significant challenges we face today, including climate change, food and water security, and city growth. 2. in west-central Arizona. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF. In 2012, East Ash Creek in the Bill Williams River watershed was dominated by nonnative Green Sunfish and contained only small numbers of native Speckled Dace. Alamo Lake is arguably one of the best largemouth bass and crappie fisheries in Arizona! The Conservancy is working with the Corps of Engineers to implement lessons learned through the Sustainable Rivers Project at all of the more than 650 dams the Corps operates. Ground-water, surface-water, and water-chemistry data, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona, 2002-03: Truini, Margot and Thomas, B.E. The drainage area is bounded on the north by the Cottonwood Cliffs; on the east, by the Juniper and Santa Maria Mountains; on the south by Date Creek and the Harcuvar Mountains; and on the west by the Hualpai Mountains. Detail of the Bill Williams River watershed. Drainage basins like this one funnel all the streams, snowmelt, and rainfall to a common outlet such as the outflow of a reservoir, or mouth of a bay. The Bill Williams River flows through the wild Arizona desert. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. This stream, which is formed by the confluence of Trout and Knight Creeks, flows southward about 49 miles on an average stream gradient of 38 feet per mile to its confluence with the Santa Maria River. The Bill Williams River NWR burn (5-acres) will remove debris piles off of the East end of Planet Ranch Rd. Today the refuge spans more than 6,100 acres, stretching along the lower 12 miles of the Bill Williams and encompassing its confluence with the Colorado River. 816-389-3612. The equivalent drainage system paralleling the east–west lower reaches of the Bill Willi… This stream, which is formed by the confluence of Kirkland and Sycamore Creeks, flows southwestward about 51 miles to its junction with the Big Sandy River. The climate is typically desert in character over the lower elevations of the basin, with short, mild winters and long, hot summers. Privacy Statement Bill Williams River Watershed Mohave, Yavapai, & Yuma Counties Arizona Department of Environmental Quality October 2012 Open File Report 12-04 . From Interstate 40, take State Highway 95 south approximately 37 miles to where the Bill Williams River flows into the Colorado River at Lake Havasu. ... Bill Williams Watershed Executive Summary Ex-1 . 2004: Comparison of measured hydraulic properties to predicted values of the Upper San Pedro watershed, Arizona: 2004: Desiccation cracks- update: Harris, R.C. The Bill Williams River is a perennial stream, although subterranean in some reaches. The Corps Water Management System (CWMS) includes four interrelated models to assist with water management for the basin: - GeoHMS (Geospatial Hydrologic Modeling Extension)- ResSIM (Reservoir System Simulation)- RAS (River Analysis System)- FIA (Flood Impact Analysis). The draining of Alamo Lake began this week, pouring water from Alamo Dam into Bill Williams River. Bill Williams River Watershed Physical geographic description . On the Bill Williams River in western Arizona, we have had the opportunity to help design and monitor the effects of several high flow releases since the mid 1990’s. , Bill Williams . The dam created Alamo Lake, which receives all flows from the Big Sandy and Santa Maria rivers. Agricultural use is limited to irrigation of a single cotton farm; however, as recently as the 1990s alfalfa farming was more prevalent. In the higher elevations, the summers are milder, and the winters are colder and longer. This lake is subject to abrupt water level fluctuations so we … The Nature Conservancy is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 53-0242652) under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. On the Bill Williams River in western Arizona, we have had the opportunity to help design and monitor the effects of several high flow releases since the mid 1990’s. HydroShare is Open Source. BILL WILLIAMS RIVER WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENT ACT - H.R. Explore how we've evolved to tackle some of the world's greatest challenges. This 3,500 acre lake was created in 1968 following the construction of an earthen dam on the Bill Williams River. Stand up for our natural world with The Nature Conservancy. Its watershed contains an area larger than the state of Connecticut. 4924 The report released on June 25, 2015, by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) confirms that this law is a win-win for Arizona and for Mohave County. This law facilitates the achievement of a fair and equitable settlement of certain claims within the Bill Williams River watershed among the Hualapai Tribe, the U.S. Department of the Interior acting on behalf of itself and as trustee for the Tribe, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, and Freeport McMoRan Minerals Corporation. 2.10 “Bill Williams River Watershed” shall mean the watershed drained by the Bill Williams River and all of its tributaries, including, but not limited to, the Big Sandy and the Santa Maria Rivers, as depicted on the map attached hereto as Exhibit 2.10. Through the channel Colorado River water is delivered to the high-lift Mark Wilmer Pumping Plant. USACE CWMS - Bill Williams River Watershed, HydroShare. If the externally linked content is large, access may take time. At the very southern end of Lake Havasu the Bill Williams River ends. INTRODUCTION The study area includes the flood plain and adjacent alluvial slopes within the Bill Williams River drainage basin that lie within the Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge (refuge) and Planet Ranch (fig. Follow the tale of two of Arizona's most important rivers. It has been recognized by the National Audubon Society and The American Bird Conservancy as a birding area of global importance. Alamo Lake Mercury TMDL October 2012 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The bill settles a water rights dispute in the Bill Williams Watershed, providing certainty for the … Williams Watershed. | This dike created an intake channel on Lake Havasu on the south side of the Bill Williams River arm of the lake. *Mobile Terms & Conditions Managing rare ecosystems in a unique natural setting. 4924 The report released on June 25, 2015, by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) confirms that this law is a win-win for Arizona and for Mohave County. PROVISIONAL DATA SUBJECT TO REVISION. The Bill Williams River is formed about 47 miles upstream from its mouth by the confluence of the Big Sandy and Santa Maria Rivers. Charitable Solicitation Disclosures This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under awards 1148453, 1148090, 1664018, 1664061, 1338606, and 1664119. © 2021 The Nature Conservancy Formed by the confluence of the Big Sandy and Santa Maria rivers—just upstream of Alamo Lake – the Bill Williams River in western Arizona flows approximately 45 miles to the Colorado River. Department of Environmental Quality . Most of the river below Alamo Dam, the only major dam and reservoir in the watershed, runs through wholly undeveloped lands. Donate before 2020 ends and every $1 you give becomes $2 to protect nature. For Arizona’s RiversCompared with many other Arizona rivers, human water use in the Bill Williams watershed is relatively minimal. It allows wildlife to travel across the desert landscape expanding their range and establishing new territories. Bill Williams River Basin Water Surface Elevation (in Feet) Compiled: 08Mar2021 1601 Please confirm that you accept the terms of this license below before you can do any downloads for this resource. The Bill Williams River Basin (Figure 1) drainage area covers approximately 5,373 mi. … In downloading this resource contents you are ethically bound to respect the terms of this license. Date Creek is the largest tributary in this reach. In years of drought, the dam slowly accumulated and held all the water that flowed into it, leaving the Bill Williams—and the habitat it sustained—completely dry. (, Download All Content as Zipped BagIt Archive, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, USACE CWMS - Bill Williams River Watershed Bank Lines, USACE CWMS - Bill Williams River Watershed Centerline, USACE CWMS - Bill Williams River Watershed Study Area, USACE CWMS - Bill Williams River Watershed Boundary, USACE CWMS - Bill Williams River Watershed, Learn more about the Bagit So far, the project is demonstrating that science-guided adjustments to dam operations can benefit nature while maintaining—or even increasing—other services, such as hydropower generation, water supply, recreation and flood risk management. It is who we are and how we work that has brought more than 65 years of tangible lasting results. water. The Alamo Basin has two distinct rainfall seasons: winter and summer, with a dry fall and a very dry late spring. (8) CONSERVATION PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Conservation Pro- Elevations in the drainage area vary from about 990 ft above sea level at the base of the dam to 8,226 ft at Hualpai Peak on the northwest boundary. Year-round flows on the three rivers and their tributaries support long, continuous strips of cottonwood, willow and mesquite woodlands that are home to a wide array of wildlife, including more than 350 species of birds. Relief is moderate to high. The Bill Williams watershed encompasses over 687,699 acres and stretches across Arizona. 2 Fish and Wildlife Service. The principal tributaries of the Bill Will- iams are Big Sandy River, which heads east of Kingman, and Santa Maria River, which heads near Hillside. The Settlement Act directs the Secretary of the Interior to enter into the Big Sandy River-Planet Ranch Water Rights Settlement Agreement and the Hualapai Tribe Bill Williams River Water Rights Settlement Agreement, to provide for the lease of certain land located within Planet Ranch on the Bill Williams River in the State of Arizona to benefit the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation … To direct the Secretary of the Interior to enter into the Big Sandy River-Planet Ranch Water Rights Settlement Agreement and the Hualapai Tribe Bill Williams River Water Rights Settlement Agreement, to provide for the lease of certain land located within Planet Ranch on the Bill Williams River in the State of Arizona to benefit the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, and to … Despite wild and baseless claims from some opponents, CRS affirmed Prior to the removal of sunfish, Speckled Dace were only present in the lower one mile of the removal … The . In 2002, the Bill Williams River became one of eight rivers used to demonstrate the benefits of the Sustainable Rivers Project, a collaboration between the Conservancy and the Corps of Engineers. The project uses science to guide dam operations in ways that mimic a river's natural flow patterns. The Santa Maria River drains an area of about 1,550 square miles. Water … Bill Williams River Water Rights Settlement Act of 2014 - (Sec. The challenges we face today are like no other time, in scale or complexity. The Bill Williams Watershed can be separated into the following drainage areas in Arizona: 15030201 Big Sandy River 15030202 Burro Creek 15030203 Santa Maria River 15030204 Bill Williams River These drainage areas and the surface waters assessed as “attaining” or “impaired” are illustrated on the following watershed map.