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Securing Arizona's Water Future

Geography of the Coconino Plateau Basin

The Coconino Plateau Basin, located in the southeastern part of the planning area is 5,812 square miles in area and the largest basin in the planning area.  Geographic features and principal communities are shown on Figure 6.1-1.  The basin is characterized by high-elevation mountain ranges, plateaus and canyons. Vegetation types include Mohave and Great Basin desertscrub, Plains and Great Basin grasslands, Great Basin conifer woodland and Rocky Mountain and madrean montane conifer forest.  There are small areas of subalpine conifer forest and alpine tundra in the San Francisco Mountains in the southeast corner of the basin. (See Figure 6.0-11)

Principal geographic features shown on Figure 6.1-1 are:

  • The Colorado River and Grand Canyon forming the northern basin boundary

  • Numerous streams that flow into the Colorado River including Diamond Creek, Havasu Creek and the Little Colorado River

  • Coconino Plateau in the center of the basin

  • Aubrey Cliffs in the western portion of the basin

  • San Francisco Peaks in the southeastern portion of the basin, including the highest peak in the basin and planning area, Mt. Humphries at 12,633 feet.

  • The lowest point at approximately 2,100 feet where the Colorado River exits the basin

Click to view Figure 6.1-1

Click for Figure 6.1-1 Coconino Plateau Basin Geographic Features

 

 

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