AZ Creek Endangered, Group Says

Arizona's Pinto Creek, located about 60 miles east of Phoenix, attracted the dubious distinction of being rated as one of the 10 most endangered rivers in the United States by American Rivers, a national environmental group. Pamela Hyde, spokeswoman for the group, said a proposed copper mine could completely dry up the 28-mile-long creek.

The mine would cover about a square mile. A 300-acre open-pit mine and a 300-acre leaching area would be part of the operation. About a mile of the creek would be diverted around the operation.

Peter Webb, of the Carlota Copper Co., the organization proposing the mine, said the company is exceeding U.S. Forest requirements to mitigate any impacts on the environment.

Public hearings already have been held on the mine, and the Tonto National Forest is expected to complete a final environmental statement later this year that would permit the mine to begin operations next year.

Border Panel OKs Douglas Water Project

The Border Environmental Cooperation Commission recently certified its first Arizona community project when it approved a Douglas request for upgrading its water and wastewater treatment systems. The $2 million project will benefit 1,250 residents and al low the city to extend its service area to 100 new customers and sewer lines for 175 customers.

The border commission and its sister agency, the North American Development Bank, were created in 1994 under NAFTA to identify and help finance environmental-infrastructure projects along the 2,000 mile Mexico/U.S. border. Both countries each have p ledged $56 million annually to fund NADBank.

Douglas now has the option of applying for NADBank funding or seeking other sources, including state loans, for part or all of the approved amount.

The Town of Somerton, located in Arizona's southwestern corner, also submitted an application to BECC. The town wants $2.5 million to repair or replace its 43-year-old wastewater treatment facility.

The commission also certified a Nogales, Sonoran water supply and distribution project for $39 million.

The border commission thus far has approved six projects totalling about $90 million. Another 50 projects, from both the United States and Mexico, seek commission certification for a total of $1.5 billion. About 80 percent are for projects in Mexic o.

Groundwater May Help Predict Quakes

Japanese researchers examining groundwater samples from the Kobe area, both before and after the January 17 earthquake that killed more than 5,000 people, have noted chemical changes that may be useful for predicting earthquakes. Their results likely wil l interest U.S. scientists working to predict earthquakes in quake-prone areas of the West.

Urumu Tsunogai and Hiroshi Wakita of the University of Tokyo recorded levels of concentrated dissolved chloride and sulfate in groundwater in the Kobe area. Pre-quake samples were obtained from bottled water pumped from an aquifer close to what late r became the earthquake's epicenter. The bottled water was dated so the researchers were able to analyze water samples from a span of time, before and after the quake.

They found that from mid-1993 to mid-1994 the concentration of chloride and sulfate remained constant in the groundwater. The concentration, however, increased five months prior to the quake, peaking in late February after the quake occurred.

George Igarashi heading a research team from Hiroshima University noted pre-quake changes in radon gas concentration in groundwater at a monitoring site 30 kilometers from the quake's epicenter. Radon readings rose slowly in October 1994, with a rap id rise noted nine days before the quake, then dropping abruptly.

Both studies suggest that geologic changes causing earthquakes also may alter the chemical concentration of the area's groundwater prior to the actual quake.

Nevada Hopes for California Ag Water

A recent development raises hopes in Nevada that the state might eventually acquire additional Colorado River water. Due to a decline in farming in California's Imperial Valley, the Imperial Irrigation District has offered to sell 500,000 acre-feet of wa ter to San Diego. The proposed agreement is similar to one reached between IID and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California a few years ago.

The availability of excess agricultural water to be sold may mean that Nevada might have a chance to tap into Colorado River water allocated to California. Interior Department Deputy Secretary John Garamendi said this water option, although years aw ay, can be extrapolated from the pending San Diego water deal.

Garamendi said a fair distribution of surplus water could ease tensions among the lower Colorado River basin states. Nevada's interest in Arizona's Colorado River water allocation has been a source of friction between the two states.

The Imperial district now receives 3.3 million acre-feet of Colorado River water a year, compared with 300,000 for Nevada.

While optimistic, Nevada officials remained cautious. The Las Vegas Valley Water District's David Donnelly said, "Any ... transfer encompasses tons of environmental and political issues."