As with many artistic processes, the preparation and development of the work are just as important as the finished product; it’s the learning and discovery along the way that brings the piece to fruition. With this work of art, in particular, the process has been intentional, collaborative, and generative. As the culminating art installation nears, the hope of the artists …
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In celebration of Imagine A Day Without Water, we profiled Zack – a man who lives every day with hardly any water. Zack lives in a van. While Zack’s van is not down by the river, his lifestyle provides a great lesson on water conservation and the impact of living minimally. Zack became a vandweller in July 2019 as a …
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According to a new study, outdoor recreation along Arizona’s waterways is a $13.5 billion industry, ranking higher than golf and mining. Arizona’s waterways, enjoyed by more than 1.5 million residents each year, contribute $13.5 billion to the state’s economy and support 114,000 jobs, according to a new report released by Audubon Arizona. The study was completed with guidance from business, …
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This month, we are celebrating American Wetlands Month! When you think of wetlands you might think of marshlands like the Louisiana Delta or the Florida Everglades. What might surprise you is that we do have wetlands in the Arizona desert. Some are natural and some are manmade. What is a Wetland? Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil or …
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There is no other natural resource as important to us in Arizona as water! That’s why this essential and precious resource was recognized by Arizona’s governor in 2008 with an Executive Order that designates April as Water Awareness Month. Now in its eleventh year, April is the time that Arizonans are encouraged to focus their attention on ideas, tips, resources, …
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Squeals of delight can always be heard from eager students attending any of the numerous riparian field trips Arizona Project WET holds every year. Whether empowered with simple collection devices they’ve created themselves or armed with sophisticated water sampling technology, these intrepid students poke, prod, and ponder the unique mysteries only wetlands hold. In the process, they become keenly aware …
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Tempe Town Lake is Arizona’s second-most visited public attraction. More than 2.4 million people spend time at Town Lake each year. The more than 2-mile long lake was created by damming a portion of the dry Salt River and adding water. Today, the lake continues to act like a river to convey rainwater and snow run-off by lowering the dam …
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Some 4,000 years ago, ancestors of the Hohokam people settled at the base of (what is now known as) Tucson’s A Mountain on the banks of the Santa Cruz river. At that time, the river flowed year-round and supported lush woodlands of cottonwood, willow, and mesquite. These people created an extensive system of irrigation canals, supporting an agricultural society that lasted thousands of years. …
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A piece of sculpture at a public intersection was once considered public art. Things have changed. Public art has become more of an event, such as a community mural designed and painted through a partnership between an artist and neighbors. The City of Mesa has taken this idea to sophisticated levels. It is a city that knows how to pair artists …
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Welcome to a steamy July morning on the Agua Fria River near Cordes Junction, Arizona. Humid, heavy air hangs above young willows laid flat by recent heavy flows. We slop through thick, mocha colored mud to the mechanical whir of cicadas, and screams of nesting Zone-tailed Hawks. While searching for the threatened Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo (hereafter cuckoo), we encounter the …
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On September 30, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson, signed into law the Colorado River Basin Project Act. Fifty years is a long time, especially to those who have lived that long, but to understand the impact of the Colorado River Basin Project Act, I actually think you need to look back even further to a story that began almost exactly …
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The upper Verde River originates in Yavapai County, near the town of Paulden, Arizona from a series of springs. It runs for more than 190 miles supporting a lush gallery forest consisting of dense groupings of cottonwoods and willows. The first 137 miles of the Verde River flow freely before reaching Horseshoe Reservoir. The heart of the river is the …
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