Hydrologic resource assessment of upper Sabino Creek basin, Pima County, Arizona

Abstract

A hydrologic resource assessment was performed for upper Sabino Creek basin, using data from a variety of local, state, and Federal agencies and organizations. Hydrologic fluxes were identified and quantified in order to create a monthly water budget. Snowmelt and rainfall are the major inputs to the watershed. Evapotranspiration accounts for the greatest loss of water. Human consumption and streamflow, while important for regulatory and aesthetic reasons, are relatively minor components of the water budget. Evapotranspiration, precipitation, and groundwater recharge I soil moisture account for the greatest fluxes of water in the basin. Precipitation is the most variable hydrologic process in the study area. Over a 47-year period, the greatest amount of water moving through the system in any one month was 6,300 acre-feet in October of 1983. The month with the lowest movement of water was December 1996, with 400 acre-feet. A comparison of Sabino Creek data with the El Nino Southern Oscillation phenomenon shows a strong correlation with precipitation and streamflow in upper Sabino Creek basin.