Conestoga Road easement removal approved by Apache Junction water board

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

Removing portions of the public utility easement at 655 S. Conestoga Road were approved at a recent meeting of the Apache Junction Water Utilities Community Facilities District board.

The board — comprised of Apache Junction City Council members — voted 6-0 on March 19 to approve the change. Board member Tess Nesser was absent.

“It’s a 33-foot federally patented easement along Seventh Avenue, between Conestoga and Cortez. We’re recommending ... abandonment of this (federally-patented easement),” Water District Director Mike Loggins said during the meeting.

Jeffery and Trica Armstrong are the applicant.

The extinguishment of the right of way is needed so a 30-foot by 50-foot barn could be constructed on the south side of the property, Jeff Armstrong said in a letter to the water district.

Water district

The Apache Junction Water District supplies groundwater pumped from the Eastern Salt River Sub-Basin Aquifer, which flows southwesterly under Apache Junction and its surrounding areas. The groundwater is treated for arsenic removal where necessary, disinfected with chlorine, pumped into storage tanks and blended with surface water from the Colorado River.

The surface water is transported through the Central Arizona Project canal system and filtered and purified at the Superstition Area Water Plant before being introduced into the distribution system.

The water district can also receive treated CAP water from the city of Mesa through an interconnect for a backup supply of water, if needed.

The water district, formed by the city of Apache Junction on Aug. 2, 1994, is responsible for providing water service for a portion of the city of Apache Junction, according to www.ajwaterdistrict.org. The remaining area is served by Arizona Water Co., www.azwater.com.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.