The Dripping Springs Wash Basin is a small, 378 square mile basin in the northwestern portion of the planning area.  Geographic features and principal communities are shown on Figure 3.6-1.   The basin is characterized by a mid-elevation mountain range and Arizona uplands Sonoran desertscrub, interior chaparral, semi-desert grassland and madrean evergreen woodland vegetation. (see Figure 3.0-9)   Riparian vegetation includes strand and mesquite on the Gila River and cottonwood/willow, strand and mixed broadleaf on Mescal Creek.

Principal geographic features shown on Figure 3.6-1 include:

• Deer Creek and Ash Creek running roughly parallel to one another southeast of Christmas

• Dripping Springs Wash northwest of Christmas, a tributary of the Gila River

• Gila River, running east-west creating the boundary between Pinal and Gila counties

• Dripping Springs Mountains to the west, which include the highest point in the basin at 5,515 feet.

• The lowest point at approximately 1,900 feet where the Gila River exits the basin

Click to view Figure 3.6-1 Dripping Springs Wash Basin Geographic Features

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