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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Few people might equate silence with power but that’s just the sort of paradox that defined Carl Hayden. Known as the “Silent Senator”, on the occasions when Hayden spoke before Congress, it was always with brevity and impact. What little Hayden said usually spoke volumes to his colleagues. He was known as a man of “sterling character” and his solid …
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Feeling melancholy as you sweep up the spent yellow petals of your Palo Verdes? I understand why: when the “month of monochrome yellow” is behind us, the baking summer is upon us, and most plants (and people!) sober up to prepare. Don’t despair yet, though—late spring wildflowers still surround Saguaros wreathed like brides with white blooms. And, now is the …
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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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Like a late-blooming teenager, 19th century Arizona was still trying to define itself. Soldiers, miners, and rugged pioneers gradually made their way to Arizona to begin life anew in a challenging landscape. These early pioneers quickly realized water was both the key to their survival and a powerful force to reckon with. Water, in the Arizona territory, was a double-edged …
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A fractured skull and a bullet lodged in the side would be enough to take down most men, but Jack Swilling wasn’t like most men. One of Arizona’s most colorful characters, Jack had a disposition that varied based upon who you talked to and the amount of opiate-laced painkiller he drank. Family members considered him a loving father, friends thought …
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The Hummingbird’s Choice Award goes to … Chuparosa! If Arizona’s hummingbirds could vote on a state flower, it would be Chuparosa (Justicia californica). A mainstay of most wildlife gardens, this long-suffering desert beauty asks little and gives much. It can be grown long and lanky, spindly branches vining into trees — or pruned to take on a more civilized appearance. …
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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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Give water, and life changes immediately. Women no longer lose time fetching water or getting sick with waterborne illnesses, and children don’t miss school. Businesses grow and people can dream for the future. Water gives Health. Time. Education. It gives joy, dreams, and togetherness. It gives prosperity and a future. Join the Arizona committee of Water For People to give …
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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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“Here’s the bottom line: We’re in a 19-year-drought,” said Gov. Doug Ducey in his 2019 State of the State address. “It’s going to get worse before it gets better.” According to Ducey, securing the state’s water future is now Arizona’s most pressing issue. More than one-third — about 36 percent — of Arizona water comes from the Colorado River, making …
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