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Dear Friend,
Headline News: The issues heat up as the weather cools down... Arizona Department of Water Resources receives the largest number of objections ever to an application for assured water supply from the City of Prescot... Only 190 shopping (or not) days until "April River Days"!
Watershed Wednesday October 15
An interesting line up of local musicians lend their voices to the chorus of people calling for protection of the upper Verde River. See our calendar for details.
Next Upper Verde River Watershed Protection Coalition Meeting October 22
Come by and meet the municipal leaders making decisions about the future of the upper Verde River. Get involved by attending this meeting at the Prescott City Council Chambers (201 South Cortez St., Prescott) at 2 p.m. Agendas and meeting minutes are posted here.
"Fishing for Answers" Quiz!
Longfin dace are our most common native fish. What are three reasons for this?
Outpouring of Objections
"A flood of protests has swamped Prescott's effort to increase the amount of assured water available to the city," reported Cindy Barks of The Daily Courier. In response to a public comment period required of Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), 40 individuals and 11 municipalities or groups sent letters objecting to the City of Prescott's request for modification of their assured water supply designation to include imported water from the Big Chino sub-basin. The turnout demonstrates an interest as never before -- ADWR says they rarely receive any objection letters.
Letter-writers include the Center for Biological Diversity, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sierra Club-Grand Canyon Chapter, City of Tempe, Yavapai-Apache Nation, and Salt River Project (SRP). The SRP letter takes a strong stand against Prescott's application stating, "In the event Prescott's application is granted, SRP will take all actions and pursue all appellate review and other judicial remedies available to SRP under applicable law."
At this point, after requesting and receiving an extension, the City of Prescott must reply to the objections by October 14, 2008. The ADWR director will likely make a decision whether to issue a modified certificate of assured water supply, deny the modification or hold a public hearing by November 11.
Pipeline Benefits Overstated
Let's give a hand to John Danforth, Sidney Moglewer, and Bill Kendig, who challenged a report funded by a local development group that predicts that the Prescott/Prescott Valley area could lose billions in growth revenue without the water from the Big Chino pipeline.
The local economic experts objected to the report as both "overstated" and "misleading," criticizing the analysis for not evaluating the costs of the pipeline project including the certain lawsuits that will result from the communities proceeding with pipeline construction without a comprehensive mitigation plan, or the savings available through aggressive water conservation. The report also failed to consider the costs or benefits of a pipeline accompanied by a comprehensive mitigation plan. See The Daily Courier article here.
Sign It!
Signing a statement of support for Verde River protection and sustainable planning for the region is a powerful act, and can make a real difference. Please add your name to the petition. So far, we've collected over 2,700 signatures both online and on paper. Thanks to those who have signed on. Now tell your friends to do the same! If you'd like to help collect signatures, as several generous volunteers already have, contact Joanne at (928) 772-8204.
Growing List of Endorsements
As we ask the public to sign our petition, interested groups (businesses, organizations, etc.) can endorse a companion position statement, viewable here. Our growing list of supporters includes American Rivers, Arizona Wilderness Coalition, Arizona Wildlife Federation, Center for Biological Diversity, Citizens Water Advocacy Group, EcoRx, Sierra Club-Grand Canyon Chapter, Keep Sedona Beautiful, Maricopa Audubon Society, Prescott Audubon Society and Sonoran Audubon Society. If your group or business would like to add their support, please contact Joanne at (928) 772-8204.
Calendar
Don't miss this month's calendar of events. To contribute calendar items, ask questions, or volunteer to help with a Save the Verde event, please contact Joanne at (928) 772-8204 or Michelle at (602) 628-9909.
You can visit our archives if you are new to our list or missed an update.
New Verde Hikes and Cleanup Scheduled
Dozens of curious and hardy hikers have joined us on our series of upper Verde River hikes led by the Center for Biological Diversity and Sierra Club-Grand Canyon Chapter. If you want to get in on a free educational trip to one of our local wetland wonders, call soon -- our trips fill up fast. Please see our calendar for dates and description.
The perfect way to say "thank you" to the Verde for your outing is to have some fun and really make a difference with like-minded river lovers. Please consider joining us in an upper Verde River cleanup in conjunction with April River Days, April 18 through 25. Watch for details in future Save the Verde updates.
Contributions Always Welcome
The Center for Biological Diversity appreciates your interest and involvement in the Save the Verde campaign. Please visit savetheverde.org for other news and updates. You can make a donation to this campaign from the secure Web site. Please contribute today!
Go With the Flow or Against the Current!
Visit the links below to see what's up, then take the plunge -- it feels so good.
Respond online to a letter, editorial, or article.
It's easy. Follow this link to see what's up in the Prescott Daily Courier or click here to visit Prescott eNews, then "speak" your mind. Newspapers provide comment space after letters, editorials, and articles.
Submit your own letter by clicking on these links:
Prescott Daily Courier
Verde Independent
Prescott Valley Tribune
The Arizona Republic
"Fishing for Answers" Quiz Answer:
1) The longfin dace is an omnivore feeding on whatever is available.
2) It spawns throughout the year.
3) This species can survive in a dry stream by living in moist algal mats. In these mats they encounter high temperatures, extreme temperature fluctuations, and low dissolved oxygen, conditions that would kill most other fish.
Photo by Gary Beverly.
The Center for Biological Diversity sends out Verde updates through DemocracyinAction.org. If you'd like to check your profile and preferences, click here. To stop receiving action alerts and newsletters from us, click here.
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