Groundwater Hydrology of the Salt River Basin

The Highland Basins include the Salt River, Tonto Creek and Verde River basins, and the northern half of the Agua Fria Basin. Basin-fill aquifers in the highlands are limited in areal extent and are hydrologically connected with stream alluvium. Consolidated rock aquifers surround and underlie the basin-fill aquifers and contribute underflow. Basin-fill aquifers also receive inflow from stream infiltration and mountain front recharge. Where the basin-fill aquifers are discontinuous, underflow between them may be restricted (Anderson, et al., 1992).