2013 State of Arizona Hazard Mitigation Plan State and County Descriptions

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1 Mohave County History / Geography Mohave County is located in northwest corner of Arizona and shares a border with California and Nevada along the Colorado River to the west, and Utah to the north. Its southern border is the Bill Williams River and La Paz County, with Coconino County and Yavapai County sharing the boundary to the east. Mohave County is the second largest county in Arizona, covering 13,479 square miles and is also a great water sports center with over 186 square miles of water and 1,000 miles of shoreline. Mohave County is bisected in the northern portion by the Grand Canyon and varies in elevation ranging from 500 at the Colorado River to 8,000 feet atop Hualapai Peak. The topography varies from flat desert ranges in the eastern portion of the county to rolling, mountainous terrain and deep canyons of the western and northern areas. Mohave County lies entirely within the Upper and Lower Colorado River Basins. The Upper Colorado River Basin includes the Grand Canyon and Lake Mead. Mountain ranges include the Virgin, Black, and Cerbat ranges. The lower basin includes Lakes Mead and Havasu on the Colorado River and Lake Alamo on the Bill Williams River, a tributary to the Colorado. The lower basin also includes the Hualapai, Peacock, Cottonwood, Aquarius, Bill Williams, Mohave, McCracken, Rawhide, and Artillery Mountains. Geology / Climate The climate across Mohave County differs significantly due to its varied terrain and geography. Temperatures within Mohave County range from below freezing during the winter months to over 112 F during the hot summer months. The severity of temperatures in either extreme is highly dependent upon the location, and more importantly the altitude, within the county. For instance, temperature extremes at Kingman are more moderate than those for the Bullhead City area on the Colorado River. Precipitation throughout Mohave County is governed to a great extent by elevation and season of the year. From November through March, storm systems from the Pacific Ocean cross the state as broad winter storms producing mild precipitation events and snowstorms at the higher elevations. Summer rainfall begins early in July and usually lasts until mid-september. Moisturebearing winds move into Arizona at the surface from the southwest and aloft from the southeast. The shift in wind direction, termed the North American Monsoon, produces summer rains in the form of thunderstorms that result largely from excessive heating of the land surface and the subsequent lifting of moisture-laden air, especially along the primary mountain ranges. Estimated Population Population Estimates for Mohave County Jurisdiction Mohave County 93, , , ,334 Bullhead City 21,951 33,769 39,540 39,571 Colorado City 2,426 3,334 4,821 N/A Kingman 13,208 20,069 28,068 28,336 Lake Havasu City 24,363 41,938 52,532 52,819 Hualapai Indian Tribe 822 1, N/A Fort Mojave Indian Tribe N/A N/A Kaibab Paiute Indian Tribe N/A 67

2 Economy The County s major industries are retail, health care, social assistance and construction. The large population centers can attribute much of the growth to tourism and recreational activities along the Colorado River and lakes, the seasonal and full-time migration of retirees, and the rapid growth of the employment opportunities in the gaming industry of Laughlin and Las Vegas, Nevada. The primary employment sectors are trade, transportation, utilities, government, education and health services. Several mines are in operation or being planned. In 2012, the total labor force for Mohave County was estimated to average 85,127 with an unemployment rate of 9.9%. For the unincorporated areas of the county, the Mohave County General Plan recognized high rates of growth in the South Mohave Valley, Golden Valley and areas surrounding Bullhead City, Kingman and Lake Havasu City prior to the economic downturn. Over 85% of the land in the County is owned by federal and state governments. Because of the vast size of the County, the public lands do not normally restrict or constrain growth, except where alternating sections of public ownership increases cost of development. The availability or access to water and sewer is the primary restraint of growth. Government Mohave County has a five member Board of Supervisors and a County Administrator. City councils with mayors govern the four incorporated cities, and tribal councils govern the three tribal reservations. Land Use / Ownership Land ownership within Mohave County is divided between Bureau of Land Management (57.6%), National Parks (13.0%), Private (12.0%), Indian Reservations, (8.3%); US Forest (4.6%), State of Arizona Trust Lands (4.3%), and other (0.5%). Emergency Management OEM Mohave County Division of Emergency Management (MCEM) provides coordination of emergency planning, training, and exercises among all county jurisdictions and emergency services agencies. The four incorporated cities and the three Indian Tribes have designated emergency managers that interact with MCEM and conduct jurisdictional planning. EAS The Emergency Alert System can be activated by the Mohave County Sheriff s Office 911 Center, Bullhead City Police Department Dispatch, or Las Vegas National Weather Service to two commercial radio stations with backup power capability for further transmission to all local stations. An automated phone warning system for the public will be operational in EMT/EMS Services EMT/EMS services are provided by several fire departments and one private company. Several air ambulance companies service the county. Law Enforcement Mohave County Sheriff s Office covers the unincorporated areas and Colorado City and coordinates with the Lake Havasu City, Bullhead City, and Kingman Police Departments, as well as the three Tribal Police Depts. Fire There are two city fire departments and 14 fire districts in the county. The Hualapai Indian Tribe has a tribal FD, and the Ft. Mojave Indian Tribe contracts fire services from one of the fire 68

3 districts. There are three fire department Hazmat teams with a significant number of trained Hazmat technicians in other departments. Disaster Events From 2005 to 2013, Mohave County received three federal and one state disaster declarations for major flooding events. Most damage occurred in the three events that impacted the unincorporated Beaver Dam / Littlefield communities in northwest Mohave, including the loss of 16 houses in Smaller flash flooding events occur in most years but usually result in temporary road closures with little infrastructure damage. Major wind damage, primarily from microbursts, has caused occasional but significant damage to homes, trailers, and utility lines in the Golden Shores, Mohave Valley, Ft. Mohave, and Bullhead City areas. Occasional Water and electric outages during the summer have caused concerns for heat related illnesses but are usually too short-term to cause major problems. The most well known historical disaster is the 1973 tank car BLEVE in Kingman that killed 11 firefighters and one civilian. This emphasizes the potential dangers of the large amounts of hazardous materials currently transiting the county on I-40, US 93, and the BNSF Railroad. There are a number of fixed facilities with hazardous materials, including two power plants and a chemical plant, and a significant amount of Hazmat training and planning occurs among all stakeholders. A major Colorado River flood occurred in the Mohave Valley area in 1983 due to release of water from Davis and Hoover Dams. As of 2013, Lake Mohave and Lake Mead levels are very low, and several years of abundant snowfall in the Rockies will be needed before levels approach the ones that necessitated the 1983 releases. Planning efforts with the Bureau of Reclamation for warning and response to uncontrolled releases from either dam are ongoing, and emergency evacuation plans for individual jurisdictions are in place. Wildfires are a significant danger to the county, particularly in the Hualapai Mountains where a 2002 fire nearly caused the evacuation of the Pine Lake community and Hualapai Mountain Park. Transportation Roadways: Interstate Highways 40 and 15, US Highway 93 and State Routes 95, 66, 68 and 389. I-40 crosses into California alongside the BNSF and several gas pipelines at Topock. I-15 traverses a potential bottleneck over several bridges in the Virgin River Gorge in northwest Mohave County. US 93 is the most direct highway route between Las Vegas and Phoenix. Large numbers of tourist buses utilize US 93 from Hoover Dam to Dolan Springs and then Pierce Ferry and Diamond Bar county roads to reach the Grand Canyon West Resort and the Skywalk. Railways: Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad transits the county through Peach Springs on the Hualapai Reservation and Kingman, paralleling Route 66 or I-40 for long stretches. Traffic comprises about 60 trains a day with considerable hazardous material. Amtrak trains also transit the county with a stop in Kingman; a major Amtrak derailment with numerous minor injuries but no fatalities occurred near Kingman in Airports/Air Service: There are large but relatively low traffic airports at Kingman, Bullhead City, and Lake Havasu City, and small airports in the Mohave Valley and White Hills area. Commuter flights service the Kingman airport, and large charter airliners, with a potential for regularly scheduled service, utilize the Laughlin/Bullhead City Airport to serve the Laughlin tourist trade. The Grand Canyon West Resort on the Hualapai Indian Tribe Reservation has a fixed wing and helicopter airport with considerable tourist flight traffic. 69

4 Utilities Electric: Unisource Electric, Mohave Electric Cooperative, Aha Macav Power Gas: Unisource Gas, Southwest Gas Water/Sewer: The four incorporated cities and the three tribes maintain services for their jurisdictions; in addition there are two county operated water districts. There are numerous private water companies that service rural areas of the county, primarily north and west of Kingman and in the areas south of Bullhead City. 70