Pima Association of Governments has worked with County staff for over two years on a series of riparian and water resource studies related to the SDCP and Comprehensive Land Use Plan. The three studies found within this document represent the final versions of (1) Water Quality in Pima County; (2) Water Quality of Priority Streams in Pima County; and (3) Water Quality Requirements of Native Aquatic Species in Pima County.

The cornerstone of any habitat conservation plan is the establishment of a set of reserves that are ultimately managed to preserve or enhance populations of a particular species or suite of species. Also, with any priority species in a particular region there are geographic areas that are much more important to the species than others. Identifying those areas is an important part of the planning process and a required activity to help assure that the best habitat areas for each species are identified and targeted for inclusion within the reserve system.

A preliminary analysis that has been drafted in conjunction with participating federal agencies. Land managing entities provided information and later a detailed review of fact sheets that summarize each reserve in terms of its size, ownership, authorizing documents, land use activities, priority vulnerable species, exotic and non-native species, baseline information, GAP status, acquisitions, management plans, research, monitoring and recovery programs. The study proposes eight Reserve Management Areas that include land managers who could work together across administrative boundaries.

Describes methods that are used in order to prepare reserve design alternatives in the area of biological conservation. The report also provides a brief history of reserve design theory, and demonstrates how the principles of biological reserve design have been extended to the other Elements of the Sonoran Desert conservation plan.

Report is a review and compilation of existing data on water quality requirements of eight aquatic species. By identifying the water quality requirements of priority vulnerable species of concern, and assessing the quality of water that serves or might serve as potential habitat, we begin to understand which sources will support priority aquatic species identified by the SDCP.

Water quality is an important issue in the alternatives analysis of the SDCP and as a component of the Environmental Planning Element of the Comprehensive Plan that requires analysis, policies and strategies to address anticipated effects of plan elements on air quality, water quality and natural resources associated with proposed development under the Plan.

Status reports containing more detailed information about the priority conservation areas of each species. The first summary provides a view from the technical perspective of how the biological reserve has been assembled. The second summary provides a view from the historical and process perspective of how the biological reserve has been assembled.