Celebrate AZ Water: Bringing Water Back to Tucson’s Birthplace – the Santa Cruz River Heritage Project
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… Read More
Celebrate AZ Water – New Arizona Prize: Mesa (And You) Win the Water Public Art Challenge
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…. Read More
Celebrate AZ Water: Turning the Bend at River Bend — Successful Restoration on the Agua Fria River
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… Read More
CELEBRATE AZ WATER: 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN PROJECT ACT
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… Read More
CELEBRATE AZ WATER WITH US ON THE VERDE RIVER!
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… Read More
CELEBRATE AZ WATER AT ROGERS LAKE: WHERE DID IT COME FROM, WHERE DOES IT GO?
Ten miles southwest of Flagstaff along Woody Mountain Road, out beyond the Arboretum, lies Rogers Lake. It’s a lake only ephemerally, during springs with heavy snow runoff. At these times, the lake also draws in waterfowl and eagles. More often, and especially this year, Rogers is grassy and wildflowery grazing… Read More
CELEBRATE AZ WATER AT PUMPHOUSE COUNTY NATURAL AREA
If you’re looking to Celebrate AZ Water in cooler temperatures, there is a fascinating area located in Kachina Village approximately nine miles south of Flagstaff in Northern Arizona. What is the Pumphouse County Natural Area? Pumphouse County Natural Area encompasses 125 acres and includes a spring-fed wetland and one of… Read More
CELEBRATE AZ WATER: GOODYEAR BRINE WETLAND PROJECT YIELDS MULTIPLE BENEFITS
The City of Goodyear, Arizona owns and operates the largest reverse osmosis (R/O) system dedicated to producing drinking water within Arizona. This system generates 4.5 million gallons per day (MGD) of R/O water. The downside to being able to produce this clean source of drinking water is that it also… Read More
CELEBRATE AZ WATER: #THINKWATER WITH ARIZONA HUMANITIES, ASU, AND THE SMITHSONIAN
Who owns water? What does the future of water look like in Arizona? Does water have a different meaning in Arizona than it does in other places? The answers to those questions are not easy and the details change depending on where you go across the state. Arizonans are invited… Read More
CELEBRATE AZ WATER WITH US ON THE SALT RIVER
The Salt River originates from the confluence of two tributaries (White and Black Rivers) in part of what is known as Arizona’s high country. The river flows about 100 miles through the middle of the state from east to west. The tributaries are created by a network of smaller headwater springs… Read More
