I would like to start off with sometime positive about the Monument Fire, a photo.
Taken last September by Tom Jr. It shows how the high elevations along the Eastside Trail of Carr Peak
(at least) did alright by the Monument Fire. Carr Canyon Road has been closed since the Fire, so it was
a long hike by JR. Looking SE one can see San Jose in Mexico and Miller Peak to the Right.
The following Points to the USFS's
NEPA Gardner Springs Page and some NEPA info, while the
next
Points to a USFS's NEPA Miller Spring Decision only since NO required NEPA was done.
Both show that the USFS tried to give the City of Tombstone what they wanted without going to the
Public etc. I find the local Biologist's statements on no threats to Spotted Owls/Frogs hard to swallow,
because this Water Grab by Tombstone will dry up the Miller Creek in Many Places.
You will find these 2 links very interesting and I'm sure you will not agree with some info. There is
even a link to comment etc.
Here is one comment that hit the nail on the head, I could not have said it better.
Tom...thanks for sharing the NEPA links on what happening in the Huachucas. Reading them almost made me feel physically sick...all this was done after the fact accommodating everything that was done by COT. They tried to cover what they were suppose to do by stating that it was all alright and nothing was adversely affected! These documents are a travesty and a insult to anyone familiar with the Wilderness Act and the ESA. ( Even if you were unaware of them simple common sense would suffice) I am hoping that Dr. Silver willl challenge this complete abrogation of USFS responsibility. As far as I'm concerned nothing less then the resignation of Upchurch and his Wildlife Biologist would be a start and my further efforts will be directed that way. Please share this e-mail with as many people as you wish. Bob Moses
Over the 7 Jan 2012 weekend: I heard that the above Wildlife Biologist is taking a Job in the NW.
The Tombstone Huachuca Water Grab started with the election of a new Mayor in 2010. During
Mar-Apr 2011 COT water personnel were talking about TAKING more water because none was
reaching Tombstone due to leaks, Also an April visit by Azwifa's Dean Moulis confirms this.
The Mayor did not mention the above when issuing his emergency order. Instead he gives the
floods as the reason. So the Governor issued her emergency order based on a half truth and the
spin goes on that the Floods are the reason for all of Tombstone's Huachuca water troubles.
This Link Contains several Tombstone Water System articles, one you may find interesting is
the one on Right-of Ways, but you need to scroll for it and others.
Here is another Mayor reflects on future and one more USFS stalls COT repairs. http://www.courthousenews.com/aboutus.html
The following 3 articles are related to the COT vs USFS Lawsuit filed 28Dec 2011 so Tombstone See how the USFS Signed Authorization for Gardner Spring and Required Specs limits Tombstone.
Click on City of Tombstone Sues the USFS for access to the Huachuca Mountain Water for the full
can do anything they want. They have applied for an USDA Rural Development Loan/Grant to get
$ if the Lawsuit goes their way. Because an Environmental Assessment is needed the Center for
Biological Diversity has filed a REQUEST FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE ONGOING TOMBSTONE PIPELINE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA) PROCEEDINGS This is the best news yet
because a public notice of the environmental assessment will be published in a local newspaper.
Howard Fischer "Capitol Media Services" article published in the SV Herald. The reporter works
out of Phoenix and covers the legislature and generally state political issues. I Hope this awakes
the Locals, Fort 50, City of Sierra Vista to the Water Grab and shows the COT Citizens their Mayor
is wasting $ on a 130 year old system that Leaks and is presently Plugged here in Miller Canyon.
This article also states that Carr Canyon Water has been in the Pipeline since mid Summer, but then
see the COT Mayor's remarks in item 2 above stating no water. Can one assume it is lost to leaks.
The 03 November 2011 AZ Daily Star (Tucson) newspaper article
Tombstone pushes for quick action to restore water source is well written. I like the "stinkin' permits"
of the first Paragraph.
By reading Page 1 of the USFS 07Nov2011 Authorization for Miller Spring work by COT and Page 2
one can see this is NOT a RESTORE project, but a HUGE REDESIGN built around a new Catch Basin
that is within an 8 foot High, 20 foot Wide, 240 foot Long Embankment. This is what you get when you
don't have full time monitoring and a design plan.
Being Tombstone they went ahead and worked in the Miller Peak Wilderness Area (MPWA) without
an US Corps of Engineers 404 Permit and before the above Authorization.
To report this unauthorized activity fill out the http://www.spl.usace.army.mil/regulatory/ form.
The form is just below the top banner in the middle of the webpage as "Unauthorized Activity".
The following are our filled out forms for Miller Springs and Beatty's Guest Ranch Properties.
If one does this, the Feds may NOT look the other way like the USFS did for the City of Tombstone
(COT) work in Miller Canyon. Please fill out one for the MPWA Miller Springs "Unauthorized Activity"
work and another for the Beatty's Guest Ranch property broken pipeline project.
The Corps file number for both projects is SPL-2011-1047-RJD. Anyone in the Corps can find the
file if you give them this number. Administrative Penalties for 404 permit
This Death Trap for Wildlife is out of place in a Wilderness Area and should not have been done.
The following 4 related items are just part of Tombstone's Grab for more Huachuca Water. Enjoy.
A Gannett Fleming $36,580 Preliminary Engineering Report and Environmental Statement The following COT Council DISCUSSION
is about funding the Gannett Fleming Study/USDA Grant . Last but not least is the Approval to hire Kevin Rudd as a Temporary Full Time Project Manager. USFS
Authorizes Tombstone can work in Miller Peak Wilderness Area to Second Crossing 03Dec11. Light reading shows a little of the troubles with Tombstone.
06Dec11. States our concerns about Tombstone work in the Miller Peak Wilderness.affecting Wildlife 26Dec11. USFS
Authorizes Tombstone can work in Miller Peak Wilderness Area to Second Crossing The following Shows that 40% of City Of Tombstone's water is leaking from their Water System. NOTE: The water lost is about the same as they get from the Huachucas.
Remember this link is based on data over 10 years old, so I'm sure the leak rate is now somewhat Using the above leak information and the All this confirms what I have said "That the COT should have declared a Fix Leak Emergency before Click KOLD story on Tombstone Water Worries to see a one sided view.
Presently COT is only trying to fix the Miller pipeline to check for leaks across the valley. Really This grab for more Huachuca Mountain Spring Locations, up to 57 USFS Locations of 5 acres each, For awhile I could not let anyone through the property to look for the Spotted Owl, because the COT The USFS had them take down the sign (Major Violation) and stopped their work for many reasons: "The Town to Tough to Die" should in this modern age be "The Town to Try" being GREEN instead Their Springs in Miller are in the Miller Peak Wilderness Area (MPWA) and are flood prone. Any The $50K in the Governor's Grant is just a waste, unless used to drill a well. They should In the past when Tombstone shut off the MPWA water, the creek WOULD start flowing again down Click on BAER 5 gates placement to see where the gates have been placed. There are two For example in Carr Canyon the upper gate is closed until at least 15 April 2012.
All other Canyons are open. Miller Canyon Road at present, 12 Dec 2011, is in great shape. It is best Only click on the following if you have high speed internet service and ADOBE Software installed Ann Youbery's Observations of Post Monument Fire Flows at Beattys Guest Ranch, Miller Canyon, The following photos were taken from a DPS Helicopter that came up right after the 11 July rain
Helicopter coming in from the East
Beatty Gulch flow: Units B/C, Store, our house/red Kia
Beatty Gulch flow: West Garden, North 5 acres.
Directly overhead of our House. Note sand filled Pond.
Marshall Canyon flow: Green Cabin A
Overhead View of Cabin A and Marshall Canyon to left
Landed Helicopter View of Unit B/C from West Garden
Takeoff View: Unit B/C, Store and former Beatty Pond
Westside of our House, note JR by 3 white dog houses
Eastside of Property, no pond
End
of Pavement on Miller Canyon Road
End of pavement again, more to the East
Horse corral, Miller Creek and Road, looking South
Miller Creek, flooded houses
Miller Canyon Subdivision
Flow North of Nicksville?
Carr Bridge flow at SR 92/Mesquite Tree
Carr Flow
Will add more as time allows.
for an USDA Emergency Grant application. The report is very biased, full of half truths
and no true Environment stuff; but Tombstone is using it as their working document.
The Marshall data is a laugh, there is nothing there but our little pipeline. Their McCoy Springs
are really Miller Springs. I like the part about a road up Marshall Canyon.
See Item F.
The good news is that the COT did not get the Emergency Grant. However on 23Dec11 the COT
took personnel from the same Grant/Loan Agency into the MPWA. For more information visit:
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWEP_HomePage.html
First time I met him, he was looking for McCoy Springs, and I told him about our McCoy Pond and
he started right off saying "that we were Stealing/Tapping into Tombstone Water". Likewise for
Marshall Springs.
I asked him if he looked inside our Marshall Springs System and he said NO. I stated the COT
Lawyer sent us Photos of his activities, then of course he recanted.
with the
Miller Canyon Trail closed until 15 March 2012.
SV Herald Articles:
and Future Floods etc. Much more informative than 03Dec11.
with the
Miller Canyon Trail closed until 15 March 2012.
This well written article also contains some other info like the Visit by Azwifa's Dean Moulis.
The article also states there are 6 leaks per year in the Huachuca pipeline and a permanent leak at
SR92 and Carr. There has been a grove of cottonwoods there for years.
higher for the 130 year old pipeline.
"ADWR 2003 report on Tombstone Water System that states they have enough water one can
easily see that they don't need any Water from the Huachucas.
the Monument Fire" instead of after, as declared by the Mayor and seconded by the Governor's Grant.
trying for more water instead of a fix issue. Great headline for a Newspaper article on how COT does
things.
is really a big environment issue. I'm sure it will go to the courts. They have told the SV Herald Editor
that the COT may sue the USFS. Also US because they say we are stealing water from them. They also
think they own part of our property because 1 of the 57 locations is nearby. The USFS and the County
Assessor say they own NO property in the Huachucas. Our deeded property has been on the Tax Rolls
for over 100 years. There is no deeded records for the COT 57 Huachuca locations.
posted a sign just West of our property in the Miller Peak Wilderness Area (MPWA) stating "Behind
this sign is City of Tombstone Property. No Trespassing, Violators will be prosecuted." One reason
for the sign I heard is that the COT did not want anyone up at their MPWA Miller Springs work site.
For some reason the COT engineer thought this was the only way one could go up Canyon. DA.
Tearing down Huge Trees, Spotted Owl roosts, Working Without Permission etc.
of sticking to the old ways.
MPWA repairs done now will not last for at least 3-5 years. According to the COT City Manager it
took 4 years after the 1977 fire to get the Huachuca pipeline back in working order and the present
flooding is much worse.
"get out of the MPWA" and leave the water therein. Putting the MPWA part of the water system
back into working order and fix the leaks will require lots of work and money. NO machinery should
be allowed in the MPWA (too late). This will really harm the Miller Canyon environment that is world
famous for Spotted Owls and other birds.
below, so one can see the direct affect on wildlife. The MPWA does not mean a thing to them.
in Carr Canyon. The USFS will close the gates when the areas behind them become unsafe.
to have a High Clearance Vehicle since the road can go bad if it rains. Call us at 520-378-2728 to check.
It will take a minute or two to load the 4.75 MB pdf that has many photos etc.
Coronado National Forest, July 11, 2011
because the Sheriff Dept could not reach us by phone.
Return to BEATTY'S GUEST RANCH Information