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anne.reed
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 11:22 pm |
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Thanks for reposting the article. I just don't spend enough time online to keep up with everyone's posts, but I have to admit, I am delighted to see this site seems to be headed in a more positive direction.
We had over 50 people show up for our first meeting of the proposed Archaeological society in Queen Creek.
Regards,
Anne
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azsunshine
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| Joined: | Thu Jan 12th, 2006 |
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 04:33 pm |
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anne.reed wrote: Dear QC:
Good article.
Did you know that a Queen Creek is forming an Archaeology group? Anyone reading, who is interested, please send me a private message and I will have someone contact you.
Regards,
Anne
QCV already posted about the archaeology group. Copy and pasted here so people can just contact the supporter directly. Past meeting but probably the same people doing it in the future. Hope you don't mind the cut and paste QCV:
Archaeologists organize to bring prehistory to life
Chapter members can ‘get in the dirt with professionals’
By SARAH J. BOGGAN TRIBUNE CONTACT WRITER: (480) 898-6574 or sboggan@evtrib.com
The Queen Creek and San Tan area was once a fertile delta that brought prehistoric farmers, known as the Hohokam, to the area and kept settlers coming. Hundreds of years later came a stage stop on a route from Florence to Mesa.
Now, a group of local archaeologists is forming a local chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society to educate residents about the area’s history.
The group’s first meeting is this month with speaker Bruce Phillips, a geomorphologist, or a specialist in soil and prehistoric canals. “We want to get people to realize what’s underneath their feet,” he said.
Some of those larger archaeological sites in the Queen Creek area are the Sonoqui Pueblo northeast of Hunt Highway and Ellsworth Road, the Rittenhouse Ruin near Queen Creek and Rittenhouse roads, and a village located where Power Ranch is now built — all Hohokam settlements.
“This whole Valley is covered with archaeological sites,” said archaeologist Eric Cox, who is helping to start the San Tan chapter.
Cox, along with archaeologist Gina Gage, want to make area residents aware of the historically significant sites in the area — and maybe find more.
“They’ll get to get in the dirt with the professionals,” Gage said of members of the forming archaeology chapter.
She said anyone can participate, including young people and families.
“We’ll have different projects people can participate in, including tours, brown bags, field trips and trainings,” Gage said.
Cox, who has a bumper sticker on his truck that says “Archaeologists tell the unremembered stories,” said public education is essential to preserving history.
“We can’t protect everything, but if we make people aware of what’s out there, it can help others preserve history,” he said.
San Tan Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society
When: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. March 30
Where: San Tan Historical Society Museum, 20740 S. Ellsworth Road, Queen Creek
Information: (480) 204-2732 or
ggage@northlandresearch.com
STARTING CHAPTER:
Geomorphologist Bruce Phillips, left, along with archaeologists Eric Cox, middle, and Gina Gage are pictured Monday at Queen Creek’s Desert Wells Stage Stop historical site. The group is attempting to establish a chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society for the Queen Creek and San Tan area. JULIO JIMENEZ, TRIBUNE
Last edited on Sun Mar 16th, 2008 10:34 am by QCVillager
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Bambi
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 02:16 pm |
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OZ wrote: Correct me if I am wrong. The way I read into this story was that they have not done an advanced fissure study yet in our area!! I see Chandler heights in Maricopa county but, not a new study advancing further into Pinal as of now.
The science of earth fissures is still developing, and geologists are learning more about it as the mapping project continues, Shipman said. "A lot of what we know comes from word of mouth," he said.
The next area being worked on is for a detailed fissure map around Luke Air Force Base in the West Valley. Then, 20 other areas sprinkled around the state follow, many in Pinal County where three-quarters of the state’s earth fissures are found.
One reason for that, is that we are surrounded by mountain ranges, and it is at the foothills, that you find these fissures.
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Bambi
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 02:14 pm |
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That whole area out there is potential fissure land. You will want to have a test done on your property, if you choose that area.
The Foothills is full of fissures....under the ground. That's why one guy behind me had to drill 1600 ft. to hit a fissure pocket with water in it.
Ask Gordon Brown. Again. The man has read up and studied this. Or ask the Water Resource Dept.....like I am going to do since I live next to the guy who had to go down 1600 ft. That water is not even safe. Probably full of arsenic.?
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starleen
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| Joined: | Wed Dec 26th, 2007 |
| Location: | Queen Creek |
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 04:40 am |
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Thank you QCVillager, for this post. I have an offer in on a short sale property and the new maps show a fissure right through the property, although the sellers claim it is a natural wash. If I were the owners I would be going back to the builder and the previous owner - this geologic defect has been recorded since 1997.
We really love the house, but one reminder of the horse Cash who died in the fissure last summer is enough for us to cancel the deal.
25815 S 194TH ST buyer beware
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OZ
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 02:50 am |
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Correct me if I am wrong. The way I read into this story was that they have not done an advanced fissure study yet in our area!! I see Chandler heights in Maricopa county but, not a new study advancing further into Pinal as of now.
The science of earth fissures is still developing, and geologists are learning more about it as the mapping project continues, Shipman said. "A lot of what we know comes from word of mouth," he said.
The next area being worked on is for a detailed fissure map around Luke Air Force Base in the West Valley. Then, 20 other areas sprinkled around the state follow, many in Pinal County where three-quarters of the state’s earth fissures are found.
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anne.reed
Member
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Posted: Sun Apr 27th, 2008 10:14 pm |
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bobthebuilder wrote:
anne.reed wrote: Dear QC:
I think it's a great post! It should be a concern to all Pinal County residents who travel Hunt Highway, fissures can be a pubic safety hazard.
These fissures are going to have a big effect on what can, and will, be built on those sites effected.
Regards,
Anne
It is interesting but as far as Pinal County is concerned, the main fissures are right by the undeveloped land around Hunt Hwy and Thompson Road. There are a few smaller ones in the empty fields between Thompson Rd and San Tan Heights but that is it. Looks more like a Maricopa County/Queen Creek/Chandler Heights problem than for us in the Johnson Ranch areas.
Many of those vacant areas are vacant for a reason. Most of them are privately held and slated for future development (at some future date). I salute those officials who finally mapped these threats so appropriate measures can be taken to protect Pinal County property owners, present and future. This research and resultant map is an awesome example of how government agencies really do protect and serve their constituents.
Thank you to those whose diligence made this possible.
Regards,
Anne
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bobthebuilder
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Posted: Sun Apr 27th, 2008 09:40 pm |
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anne.reed wrote: Dear QC:
I think it's a great post! It should be a concern to all Pinal County residents who travel Hunt Highway, fissures can be a pubic safety hazard.
These fissures are going to have a big effect on what can, and will, be built on those sites effected.
Regards,
Anne
It is interesting but as far as Pinal County is concerned, the main fissures are right by the undeveloped land around Hunt Hwy and Thompson Road. There are a few smaller ones in the empty fields between Thompson Rd and San Tan Heights but that is it. Looks more like a Maricopa County/Queen Creek/Chandler Heights problem than for us in the Johnson Ranch areas.
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anne.reed
Member
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Posted: Sun Apr 27th, 2008 09:32 pm |
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Dear QC:
Good article.
Did you know that a Queen Creek is forming an Archaeology group? Anyone reading, who is interested, please send me a private message and I will have someone contact you.
Regards,
Anne
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QCVillager
Member
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Posted: Sun Apr 27th, 2008 01:56 am |
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http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/page/fissures
there is LOTS more good stuff at this link - it is an online, interactive story and details how a fissure is formed, shows timelines of our discovery of various fissure areas, etc... looks like the Trib put a lot of good work into this !
April 26, 2008
Landowners praise Arizona’s fissure maps
SARAH J. BOGGAN, TRIBUNE
There's no pun intended when state geologist Todd Shipman says the new state-issued earth fissure maps are "breaking new ground."
"Nobody in the U.S. has done anything like this," said Shipman, who headed the statewide fissure mapping project.
As he talked, Shipman looked over a small canyon several feet wide that rips through state land and crosses Baseline and Meridian roads in Apache Junction. The fissure is reflected as a bold black line on the new maps.
The first two mapped areas — Chandler Heights near Queen Creek, and Apache Junction — were released last week as part of an effort to map fissures across the state.
As mandated by 2006 legislation, the Arizona Geological Survey has completed a detailed mapping project for the two areas, showing at a 1:12,000 scale (1 inch on the map equals 1,000 feet on the ground) the locations of earth fissures. There are 20 more areas to map.
"These areas were chosen for the first maps because of the rate of development with respect to the fissures," Shipman said.
The maps are more than a year in the making and are the first step to dealing with the cracks caused by harvesting groundwater faster than the water can be replenished. Fissures are known to have damaged homes, and an infamous fissure in the Queen Creek area swallowed a horse last summer.
The Apache Junction area map shows about 220 fissures while the Chandler Heights area map identifies nearly 200.
The Arizona Geological Survey issued fissure planning maps more than a year ago, but they don't nearly reach the detail of the new maps. They are available as free PDF downloads through the Arizona Geological Survey's Earth Fissure Center at http://www.azgs.az.gov.
Geologists are using hand-held global positioning system (GPS) devices tied into a geographic information system (GIS) to track the fissures. Each fissure mapped has been visited twice, at a minimum, and at least once with a team of trackers, Shipman said.
The geologists mark the location and record observations such as the fissure's size, depth, steepness and the type of vegetation growing in or near it. The map also shows reported fissures that may be covered over at the surface.
The science of earth fissures is still developing, and geologists are learning more about it as the mapping project continues, Shipman said. "A lot of what we know comes from word of mouth," he said.
The next area being worked on is for a detailed fissure map around Luke Air Force Base in the West Valley. Then, 20 other areas sprinkled around the state follow, many in Pinal County where three-quarters of the state’s earth fissures are found.
The project will be cyclical — when the project areas are complete, work will begin to update the maps.
"There's a potential for more," Shipman said. "This is a snapshot."
The maps are intended to be a tool to help developers, real estate agents and home buyers make decisions about where to develop or buy. The maps could help someone from making a costly or devastating mistake.
"Now that these maps are out, there is no denying it — they can't ignore it," Shipman said.
Arizona Department of Real Estate spokeswoman Mary Utley said the new maps are important because of the "horrific problems" fissures can cause. Utley said the updated information can be listed in public reports filed with the Arizona Department of Real Estate, and the dangerous cracks can be avoided or mitigated.
"The maps are very useful for the developers and the public, the consumer," she said. "In the past, the industry was dealing with very old maps."
The next step is figuring out what needs to be done to mitigate fissures and then have municipalities institute regulations about developing near or on known fissures, Shipman said. He said only time will tell if what has been done to mitigate the cracks so far will work.
"Fissures are a long-term problem," Shipman said. "But we're not saying abandon the property, we're saying develop responsibly."
Pinal County resident Joan Etzenhouser, who moved near the San Tan Mountains in 2004, lives on what has been called "a system of fissures." The new map shows cracks on her property.
Etzenhouser, and other people such as Queen Creek-area residents Tom Lang and Silvia Centoz, have long warned people about fissures. Shipman called the area neighbors "the grass-roots" portion of the fissures project."We wouldn't have gotten to this point without their help," he said.
Etzenhouser said she started noticing "funny little holes" in her yard, but with time and rain, realized her problem was growing. She is involved in a lawsuit over the fissures, which have left cracks in her home and devalued her property.
Etzenhouser said she is pleased about the maps coming out because the finer details serve as "a greater base of information so people don't end up like me."
"It would confirm what I've been saying all along," she said. "It’s out there, it's on the map. This doesn't need to happen to anyone else."
Contact Writer: (480) 898-6574 or sboggan@evtrib.com
Last edited on Sun Apr 27th, 2008 02:00 am by QCVillager
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anne.reed
Member
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Posted: Sat Apr 26th, 2008 11:32 pm |
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Dear QC:
I think it's a great post! It should be a concern to all Pinal County residents who travel Hunt Highway, fissures can be a pubic safety hazard.
These fissures are going to have a big effect on what can, and will, be built on those sites effected.
Regards,
Anne
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bobthebuilder
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Posted: Sat Apr 26th, 2008 02:25 am |
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Much ado over nothing for the majority of us. Thanks for the link.
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QCVillager
Member
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Posted: Fri Apr 25th, 2008 04:54 am |
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Go to this link and zoom all the way in and you can see lots of fissures on Maricopa County islands (look especially South of Mews and from 193rd to 195th) and then South of Hunt Hwy (from Hawes eastward) in Unincorporated Pinal County
http://www.azmap.org/fissures
Effective September 21, 2006, Ariz. Rev. Stat. � 27-152.01(3) charges the Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS) with
- (1). Comprehensive mapping of earth fissures throughout Arizona, and
- (2). delivering earth fissure map data to be posted online with other GIS map layers for the public to use to build their own customized maps.
The AZMap Earth Fissures Viewer enables the public to interactively query and display fissures information.
How do I use it?
Use the Tutorial to understand how the Viewer works.
Remember to turn off the Popup Blocker in your Browser. This application makes extensive use of popup windows to bring up the Easy Search menu and the Help menu.
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