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Dear Friend,
Witnessing the birth of a river is an awesome experience. You might not know that this opportunity is yours -- right in your own backyard. Some might consider the natural state of Arizona's rivers as dry. This is not so. Historically, they emerged from perennial springs just like the Verde still does. Come hike with us and start a personal relationship with your river. Just pick a date and let us know you will join us. Hiking dates continue through spring and beyond.
Verde River Awareness Day
Thanks to the hard work of many concerned citizens, citizens groups, and local environmental groups, Verde River Awareness Day on January 28 was a multi-faceted public forum for telling it like it is. After a fun and informative rally in downtown Prescott, more than a dozen people and one large bald eagle crossed the street to Prescott City Hall and presented thousands of petition signatures to the city clerk.
That evening, the forum "Big Chino Pipeline & the Verde River: Your Water, Your River, Your Future," was attended by about 200 people. A number of speakers gave the audience important information about the uniqueness of the Verde, the potential elements of a mitigation plan, whether Prescott has enough water to last another sixteen years even if historical years of rapid population growth continue, potential alternatives to meeting the regions water needs, likely financial pit falls, and the need to take some personal action to protect the Verde River. See The Daily Courier article "Groups Rally for Pipeline Mitigation Plan." The article includes links to the position statement, wording of the petition, and to three of the presentations given that night. All seven presentations can be viewed in the Reports and Articles section of the CWAG Web site.
Same Song from Municipalities at ADWR Hearings
The City of Prescott and Prescott Valley water managers and other consultants hired by them continue to sing the same tune about the "clay plug" and distance being the only protections needed for the Verde River's base flow. Same tune, different day -- and different judge. And no, not Simon Cowell of American Idol.
In mid November, the Arizona Department of Water Resources concluded that Prescott has approximately 20,000 acre-feet of water from physically, legally, and continuously available sources to the City for no less than 100 years, including 8,067 acre-feet from the Big Chino Water Ranch. That approval does not take into account the impacts to the upper Verde River, so last month, appeals to this decision were filed by the Center and many others. The City of Prescott also filed an administrative appeal as they had originally applied for 9,500 acre-feet of Big Chino water.
Public hearings held February 9, 10 and 11 reviewed the decision that ADWR released in November. The Honorable Thomas Shedden, administrative law judge for the Arizona Department of Administrative Hearings, heard testimony from witnesses brought by the City of Prescott and the Beverly Appellants. On Monday and Tuesday, witnesses for the city had testified that the pumping would not affect the flow of the Verde River, which originates about 20 miles southeast of the Big Chino Water Ranch.
But on Wednesday, the case for local appellants Gary Beverly, Tom Atkins, and Anthony Krzysik, maintained just the opposite. In fact, a groundwater flow model that used data provided by the city's consultants as well as from thousands of well-driller logs ignored by the city, shows the likely impacts in the area of the ranch to be nearly twice as much as claimed by the city. It also indicates that the upper Verde River will eventually dry up due to the impacts of groundwater pumping. According to the preliminary report by Jon Ford of Leonard Rice Engineers, Inc. filed as evidence in the case: "If pumping continued after 100 years, eventually the base flow would be zero because the net pumping exceeds recharge."
Only a fraction of the witnesses and evidence were heard in these three days, so the hearing will be continued for an additional three days to complete the testimony for the local appellants, as well as for ADWR and The Center for Biological Diversity. This is scheduled to take place on April 13, 14 and 15, 2009, beginning at 9:00 a.m. each day, at Yavapai College, 1100 East Sheldon Building 19 - Rm.147, Community Room, Prescott, Arizona 86301.
Ultimately, Judge Shedden will evaluate witnesses' testimony, decide what evidence to admit, and finally make a recommendation to Herb Guenther, ADWR Director.
Click here to read The Daily Courier February 11 article about the hearings.
You can follow the hearings on the Office of Administrative Hearings Web site here by searching by client under the Department of Water Resources or by the docket #08A-AWS001-DWR. Or click here to access all of the documents filed in the case.
Verde River Groups Present Endorsements and Petition Signatures
The Center for Biological Diversity and other groups in support of comprehensive protection measures for the Verde River will present a position statement and a petition with more than 19,000 signatures at the Upper Verde River Watershed Protection Coalition meeting on Wednesday, February 25th.
The "Big Chino Water Pumping and Pipeline(s) Position Statement" has been endorsed by 20 groups, including American Rivers, Center for Biological Diversity, Citizens Water Advocacy Group, Granite Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation, River Runners for Wilderness, Sierra Club-Grand Canyon Chapter, and Verde River Citizens Alliance. The "Keep the Verde River Flowing" petition signatures were collected in the community and online in response to the Big Chino Water Ranch project and other pumping projects and large developments that have the potential to irreparably harm the flows of the upper Verde River. More than one thousand of the signatures were collected from local residents and the balance from individuals throughout the U.S. and beyond who are concerned about the fate of this rare and precious Arizona river. The petition asks the municipalities and large private developers to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to undertake Habitat Conservation Plans or other comprehensive mitigation plans regarding their proposed pumping projects prior to construction to ensure that the Verde continues to support the people and wildlife that depend on it.
The presentation will take place during the "call to the public" portion of the Upper Verde River Watershed Protection Coalition meeting just after 2 p.m. at Prescott City Hall, 201 S. Cortez Street. For more info, call Joanne at (928) 772-8204 or email joellers@biologicaldiversity.org. Additional petition signatures and position statement endorsements are welcome.
March Viewerie Exhibit
The Center will have a large exhibit in the Prescott Public Library "Viewerie" during the month of March. Through large-format photographs, poetry, computer slide shows, and three-dimension demonstrations, witness the story of our beautiful Verde River, the threats that beleaguer it, and what citizens can do to help. Many thanks to Prescott College students Allison Trowbridge and Heidi Black for design assistance, as well as Gary Beverly, Walt Anderson, and Robin Silver. See the calendar for more details.
Second Annual April River Days: A Week of Celebration and Action for the Verde is just around the corner. Stay tuned for details and contact Edie at (928) 277-9155 or edillon@biologicaldiversity.org for more information or to volunteer to help make this celebration another big success.
"Fishing for Answers" Quiz -- a two-part challenge
1. Which of Arizona's endangered fish can be described as "guppy-like"?
2. If we think of guppies as "live-bearing," what does this mean biologically?
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) 628-990.
You can visit our archives if you are new to our list or missed an update.
Express Yourself
Go with the flow or against the current.
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
Little Drops of Water
Download a Little Drop of Water to decorate and send us. Look for new displays including your little drops in shops and libraries around the watershed. Contact Joanne at (928) 772-8204 if you know of someone who would welcome a display from us.
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!
"Fishing for Answers" Quiz Answer:
1. The Gila topminnow historically occurred in the backwaters of large rivers, now since most of these Arizona habitats are destroyed, it is isolated to small streams and springs which are also dramatically diminishing.
2. Using biological terms, live birth is called vivipary. In this reproductive form, the embryo develops inside the body of the mother (like guppies and puppies) as opposed to outside in an egg. Of course, whether produced in an egg or not, the embryo is continuously "live."
Photo (c) Walt Anderson.
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