The Verde River Basin Partnership has been making some grand strides in the past year of creating some solid branding and providing good information on the state of this rare perennial desert river. Check out their new logo and temp website which holds the Verde River Guiding Principles, something individuals and businesses can get behind. Sign it! And support the Verde!!

It’s been half a decade since the Arizona Republic printed a series of articles on the ruined rivers of Arizona, and not much has changed. The San Pedro River is still going dry (less than 1 cubic-foot/second at the Charleston stream gage with no rain in sight). The Verde River is still facing the threat of depletion due to population growth and development. The Salt River is still dammed and generally a dry wash through Phoenix. The Santa Cruz River through Tucson only flows in response to storms and sewage treatment plant returns.

Of course good things have happened, too. Fossil Creek received federal Wild and Scenic River designation in 2009 and has been restored with full flows, native fish stockings, and multiple bankside clean-ups. A comprehensive resource management plan for Fossil Creek is in the works. The Verde River gained national attention as an American Rivers “Most Endangered River” in 2006, and grassroots opposition to the Big Chino pipeline — as well as the economic slowdown — has put the biggest individual threat on a back burner for the time-being.

Much has yet to be done. Your interest in preserving rivers in Arizona is needed! And action speaks louder than words.

SUPPORT Arizona Rivers

PARTICIPATE in river clean-ups and restoration work – Volunteers for Outdoor Arizona is a great source

LEARN MORE about the rivers in Arizona that desperately need your help – starting with the Ruined Rivers series

Arizona Rivers and the Grand Canyon (Arizona) Chapter of the Sierra Club have teamed up with local photographer Gary Beverly and artist Edie Dillon to deliver a mixed-media interpretive exhibit to the Sedona Public Library for the months of June and July. The exhibit, titled, “The Verde River: Green Heart of Arizona – Endangered Desert Jewel,” celebrates this ecological and aesthetic treasure in Sedona’s backyard.

“The Verde River provides important habitat for people and wildlife alike,” said Sandy Bahr, Director for the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter. “This exhibit will help demonstrate the significance of this vibrant ecological corridor, how it is threatened, and what we can all do to help.”

Both Arizona Rivers and the Sierra Club-Grand Canyon Chapter host a variety of events to inform local citizens about threats to the Verde River that include groundwater pumping, destructive recreation, water pollution, and human population growth. The Verde has attracted the concern of national conservation organizations, including American Rivers, which included the river in its 2006 list of the country’s top 10 most endangered rivers.

“Projected population growth in the region will create an unmet demand for water of more than double the flow of the upper Verde River,” says Michelle Harrington, executive director of Arizona Rivers. “The City of Prescott’s plans to import water from the Big Chino aquifer – the Verde’s headwaters – could eventually destroy the upper river if it is not adequately mitigated. Clearly, though, Prescott’s pipeline is only part of a very large potential problem. The public must be involved in decisions about the Verde’s future, and that includes population growth and water resource planning.”

The library exhibit is installed on display panels placed at the front entry. The display tells the Verde’s story through words and images. Viewers are introduced to the diverse array of plants and animals that depend on the river, the myriad threats it faces, and the role the community can play in speaking up for our watershed and protecting the life blood of central Arizona, the Verde River.

The exhibit also includes a variety of ways the public can do its part to protect the Verde River. Recreationists are encouraged to practice the principals of “leave no trace,” and off-road vehicle users are encouraged to stay on legal trails and to learn about the way vehicle use impacts wildlife habitat and riparian vegetation. The public is also urged to visit the Verde, support Wild and Scenic designation for the upper river segment, practice personal water conservation, and encourage local officials to transition to a sustainable water economy.

The Verde River exhibit will remain on display at the Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Rd., Sedona, through mid-July. Library hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and closed on Sunday. For more information contact Michelle Harrington at 602-628-9909.

Arizona Rivers is a nonprofit organization working to protect the state’s imperiled rivers and riparian habitats in support of diverse native fish communities, wildlife, plants, and human health and enjoyment.

The Sierra Club is a grassroots environmental organization with more than 1.3 million members and supporters nationwide, 12,000 of whom reside in Arizona as part of the Grand Canyon Chapter. The Sierra Club mission is “to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources; and to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environments.”

Save the Date!

The Verde River Basin Partnership is hosting an event on Thursday, June 16.

From their flyer:

United States Geological Survey
Presentation
Northern Arizona Regional Groundwater Flow Model

&
Verde River Basin Partnership
Quarterly Meeting

WHEN
JUNE 16, 2011

TIME
2:00-4:00 P.M.

LOCATION
TO BE DETERMINED

Please save the date for a unique opportunity to participate in a presentation by Don Pool and Jim Leenhouts of the recently released USGS report. This event will also serve as the VRBP Quarterly Meeting. More information to follow shortly!

The installation of the Viewerie exhibit in brief… (and FIRST attempt at a video slideshow.) More photos to come.

For Immediate Release, January 31, 2011

Contact:         Michelle Harrington, Arizona Rivers, (602) 628-9909

Library Exhibit Celebrates Verde River–Arizona’s Desert Jewel

PRESCOTT, Ariz.— Arizona Rivers and the Grand Canyon (Arizona) Chapter of the Sierra Club have teamed up with local photographer Gary Beverly and artist Edie Dillon to deliver a mixed-media interpretive exhibit to the Prescott Public Library for the month of February. The exhibit, titled, “The Verde River: Green Heart of Arizona – Endangered Desert Jewel,” celebrates this ecological and aesthetic treasure in Prescott’s backyard.

“The Verde River provides important habitat for people and wildlife alike,” said Sandy Bahr, Director for the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter. “This exhibit will help demonstrate the significance of this vibrant ecological corridor, how it is threatened, and what we can all do to help.”

Both Arizona Rivers and the Sierra Club-Grand Canyon Chapter host a variety of events to inform local citizens about threats to the Verde River that include groundwater pumping, destructive recreation, water pollution, and human population growth. The Verde has attracted the concern of national conservation organizations, including American Rivers, which included the river in its 2006 list of the country’s top 10 most endangered rivers.

“Projected population growth in the region will create an unmet demand for water of more than double the flow of the upper Verde River,” says Michelle Harrington, executive director of Arizona Rivers. “The City of Prescott’s plans to import water from the Big Chino aquifer – the Verde’s headwaters – could eventually destroy the upper river if it is not adequately mitigated. Clearly, though, Prescott’s pipeline is only part of a very large potential problem. The public must be involved in decisions about the Verde’s future, and that includes population growth and water resource planning.”

The library exhibit is installed in the “Viewerie” along the back inside wall. Panels in the 42-foot display area tell the Verde’s story through words and images. Viewers are introduced to the diverse array of plants and animals that depend on the river, the myriad threats it faces, and the role the community can play in speaking up for our watershed and protecting the life blood of central Arizona, the Verde River.

The exhibit also includes a variety of ways the public can do its part to protect the Verde River. Recreationists are encouraged to practice the principals of “leave no trace,” and off-road vehicle users are encouraged to stay on legal trails and to learn about the way vehicle use impacts wildlife habitat and riparian vegetation. The public is also urged to visit the Verde, support Wild and Scenic designation for the upper river segment, practice personal water conservation, and encourage local officials to transition to a sustainable water economy.

The Verde River exhibit will remain on display at the Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., Prescott, through February 28. Library hours are Monday, Friday, and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Wednesday, 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information or for information about displaying the exhibit in another location, call Edie Dillon at (928) 277-9155.

Arizona Rivers is a nonprofit organization working to protect the state’s imperiled rivers and riparian habitats in support of diverse native fish communities, wildlife, plants, and human health and enjoyment.

The Sierra Club is a grassroots environmental organization with more than 1.3 million members and supporters nationwide, 12,000 of whom reside in Arizona as part of the Grand Canyon Chapter. The Sierra Club mission is “to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources; and to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environments.”

# # #

Retired US Geological Survey geologist Edward Wolfe looks at population predictions, water demand, and Verde stream gauges to provide a glimpse at what he calls “The Verde River–A Cautionary Tale of Two Streamgages.” Verde News reporter Steve Ayers covers the report in this article.

Read the report:

The Verde River–A Cautionary Tale of Two Streamgages (full revised)

“Elimination of perennial flow in Arizona rivers because of over-commitment of the groundwater and their conversion to intermittent washes that flow only after storms or when snow is melting has been a common occurrence in Arizona.”–The Verde River–A Cautionary Tale of Two Streamgages