A.14.1. Standard Operating Procedures

Watershed Management

FLPMA defines the BLM’s mission to include protection of watersheds. FLPMA requires that public lands be managed to protect scientific, environmental, air and atmospheric, and water resources. FLPMA also requires that BLM land use plans comply with state and federal air, water, and pollution standards. In addition, BLM Manual 7000 and executive orders provide field guidance in managing soil, water, and air.

Management is done in compliance with these and other relevant laws:

Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1935
Watershed Protection and Flood Control Act of 1954
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968
Federal Pollution Control Act with amendments of 1972
Clean Water Act of 1989
Safe Drinking Water Act of 1977

Water Resource Management Program

The BLM’s water resource program consists of the following mandates:

To ensure the physical presence and legal availability of water on public lands.
To ensure that those waters meet or exceed federal and state water quality standards for specific uses.
To mitigate activities to prevent water quality degradation.

The water resource program is divided into three parts: water inventory, water rights, and monitoring.

BLM policy is to inventory all water resources on public lands it administers and to document and store this data in its Water Data Management System; and to file for water rights on all water sources on public and acquired lands in accordance with State of Arizona water laws.

BLM policy is to monitor water quality to assess resource impacts from specific activities and to obtain baseline resource information.