Facilities
Existing Land Uses
Existing Built Features
Historic and Prehistoric Sites
Existing Natural Features
Need/Demand for Active Recreation facilities within Cave Buttes Recreation Area
Need/Demand for Passive Recreation facilities within Cave Buttes Recreation Area
Need/Demand for Special Recreation facilities within Cave Buttes Recreation Area
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Existing Recreation Facilities - Existing recreation facilities occur primarily south of the Central Arizona Project Canal with neighborhood park exceptions within the Tatum Ranch, Tatum Highlands and Desert Ridge developments.
Existing School Facilities - Three school districts within Cave Butte's service area - Deer Valley, Paradise Valley, and Cave Creek - provide a substantial variety of active recreational facilities.
Existing Golf Courses - Three of the eight courses are 18 holes in the $41 to $85 price range. Two publicly provided courses with fees up to $40 for 18 holes are located at the southern and western perimeter of the five-mile service area. Three courses in the area are private or their fees are over $86 for 18 holes.
Committed Facilities - Most committed facilities occur in master-planned, unbuilt parks scattered throughout the northern half of the service area. These include three new parks in the I-17 corridor provided through large private development projects. The Phoenix Sonoran Preserve will provide for a wide range of passive resource-based recreation west of Cave Creek Wash, including a variety of trail, trailhead, environmental education, and picnicking opportunities. The Cave Buttes Recreation Area is seen as complimenting the Sonoran Preserve. The Sonoran Preserve Master Plan recommends that one trailhead and a secondary environmental education center be located along the eastern edge of the Cave Buttes Recreation Area. Other committed facilities generally represent phased improvements in already built parks.
Proposed Facilities - Most of the total facilities inventoried are proposed, which reflects the largely undeveloped and fast growing five-mile service area. Most of the proposed parks are located west of the Cave Creek Wash extending to just west of the I-17 Corridor. Numerous facilities are identified in the Reach 11 Master Plan. Another cluster of proposed parks occurs in the area north of Reach 11 (northward to Jomax Road). Three district parks are located within the five-mile service area of the Cave Buttes Recreation Area.
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Sonoran Preserve - The adjacent Sonoran Preserve is founded on the philosophy of resource preservation and conservation. The Sonoran Preserve, as planned, will be contiguous to the Cave Buttes Recreation Area along approximately 75% of the Recreation Area's boundary.
North Land Use Plan - This plan proposes increased dwelling densities along the northeastern and southeastern boundaries of the Cave Buttes Recreation Area and encourages access to the area.
Gravel Mining - An active gravel mine is located along the Upper Cave Creek. As long as mining operations continue, potential impacts to the Cave Buttes Recreation Area include increased sedimentation and disruption of drainage flows in the Upper Cave Creek Wash, as well as noise associated with the mining operations.
Deer Valley Airport - Deer Valley Airport, a general aviation airport operated by the City, is located approximately 1½ miles southwest of the Cave Buttes Recreation Area.
Arizona State Land Department Lands - Most of the land surrounding Cave Buttes is currently owned and managed by the State Land Department and has already been identified for preservation as part of the Sonoran Preserve Master Plan. Currently, the State Land Department provides recreational access to these lands through a Recreational Use Permit. Most typically, permits are given for hiking, equestrian riding, bicycling, rock climbing and all terrain vehicle use and jeep tours. Hot air ballooning is also a permitted use, though many times balloonists launch/retrieve from the Cave Buttes Recreation Area since there is poor access control at both locations.
Parks/Open Spaces - The Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department manages the Adobe Mountain Park and the Cave Creek Recreation Area. Deem Hills, Ludden Mountain Open Space Areas, and the future Reach 11 Recreation Area, which are managed by the City, also represent significant multi-use recreational destinations. At least 21 parks/basins exist within the five-mile study area boundary.
Special Interest Uses - The Black Mountain BMX Race Park located just south of the Cave Buttes Recreation Area, the Phoenix Equestrian Center located within the Reach 11 Recreation Area, the Old West Museum at Rawhide, and several special interests within the Adobe Dam Recreation Area are found within the five-mile service area.
Scenic Drive Classification - Cave Creek Road and Carefree Highway are considered Scenic Drives, for their entire lengths through the study area. The proposed alignment of Dynamite Boulevard through the Sonoran Preserve (approximately two miles) has also been designated as a Scenic Drive.
Multi-Use Trails and Paths - The City's Multi-Use Trail Plan proposes multi-use trails within and around the Cave Buttes Recreation Area. The City Bikeway System Plan identifies bicycle facilities within the study area. The County has proposed hiking and riding trails that parallel Cave Creek Wash and the Central Arizona Project Canal, and extend beyond the Cave Buttes Recreation Area boundary.
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The dams are the most prominent structures within the Cave Buttes Recreation Area. Cave Creek Dam was built in 1923. Cave Buttes Dam, three earthen dikes and two associated spillways were built in 1979 to replace the function of the Cave Creek Dam.
A model airplane flying facility is situated immediately north of Dike No. 2 and south of Jomax Road. The flying club members built the improved runway and canopy structures at this facility. Numerous mining sites and shafts are located within the Cave Buttes Recreation Area, mostly near the dams. There are numerous dirt roads within the Cave Buttes Recreation Area, mostly associated with the existing cattle grazing, soil removal from the Cave Creek channel, and off-road vehicle use.
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Cultural Resources - The Cave Buttes Recreation Area is part of the Cave Creek Dam Archaeological District, which was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The recent survey resulted in the identification of 32 sites.
Most of the 29 prehistoric sites are composed of Hohokam artifact scatters. Seven sites are prehistoric habitations that either were previously excavated and found to contain subsurface structures, or contain features or structures visible on the surface. Noteworthy sites include a rock shelter, a large midden area, agriculture networks, and an archaic artifact scatter with a diagnostic projectile point.
The three historic sites within the project area date from the early to mid 1900s and include the Cave Creek Dam, a mining camp, and mine that were inhabited and used during the early 1900s.
With appropriate planning, it is possible to minimize or completely avoid impacts to cultural resources by designing improvements to avoid the most sensitive features.
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Natural Features - The terrain of the Cave Buttes Recreation Area is generally flat over the eastern half of the site. Immediately north of the Cave Creek Dam, the landscape has been substantially modified by FCD activities. The Union Hills dominate the western edge of the site and rise steeply from the Cave Creek floor to create a distinct natural demarcation along the western project limits. One moderate, rugged hill formation is centrally situated just east of Cave Creek Dam. From this location, views in all directions around the site are possible.
Vegetation and Potential Wildlife Habitat - The dominant vegetation at this site is creosote, triangle-leaf bursage, desert ironwood, and blue paloverde. Sonoran Desert scrub is prominent in the flatter land areas that are not part of natural drainage ways. Moderate to high value habitat is found in the Upper Sonoran vegetation type in the Union Hills portion of area and along Cave Creek and Apache Washes. Highly modified/sparse vegetation type is associated with the FCD activities, heavily grazed locations and the model airplane facility. Professional biologists will need to determine if there would be impacts to any on-site species or their habitat.
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