The Aravaipa Canyon Basin is a relatively small, 517 square mile basin in the center of the planning area. Geographic features and principal communities are shown on Figure 3.1-1.  The basin is characterized by medium-elevation mountain ranges, canyons and valleys.  Vegetation is primarily semi-desert grassland with smaller areas of Great Basin conifer woodland, madrean evergreen woodland, interior chaparral and Arizona uplands Sonoran desertscrub. (see Figure 3.0-9)  Riparian vegetation includes cottonwood/willow, mesquite and mixed broadleaf along Aravaipa Creek and cottonwood/willow and mixed broadleaf along Turkey Creek.

Principal geographic features shown on Figure 3.1-1 are: 

• Aravaipa Creek, which runs north-south through Klondyke and turns west north of Klondyke where it enters Aravaipa Canyon

• Galiuro Mountains along the southwest basin boundary, which contain the highest point in the basin at 7,540 feet (Kennedy Peak)

• Aravaipa Valley south of Klondyke

• Santa Teresa Mountains on the northwestern basin boundary

• The lowest point at 2,400 feet where Aravaipa Creek exits the basin