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Celebrate AZ Water: Turning the Bend at River Bend — Successful Restoration on the Agua Fria River

November 27, 2018

[…] beer brewed by members of the Western Rivers Brewers’ Council. Might we suggest Rain Crow IPA? Cheers!   Looking for another place in Arizona to explore? Find it in our Celebrate AZ Water archives!   Local Breweries and the Western Rivers Brewers’ Council teamed up with Audubon Arizona to develop “Rain Crow” beer to advocate for water policies that protect our […]

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It’s Teacher Appreciation Week!

May 3, 2021

[…] on social media. The answer will be revealed on Friday May 7th!   Instagram: @wateruseitwiselyaz Facebook: @WaterUseItWisely Twitter: @WUIW Make sure you find some time this week to thank and celebrate your teachers! More blogs you might enjoy: Teach your kids to protect earth and each other 5 Easy Way to Teach Kids to Conserve Water Top Tips and Tricks […]

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Earth Day with Wayne Drop

April 20, 2021

[…] surface area covered in water. Earth Day was founded in 1970 to raise awareness about environmental issues such as pollution, deforestation and clean water. Since then, Earth Day has been celebrated in 193 countries around the world! Our planet is a pretty special place, but it needs our help to thrive. One easy thing we can do to protect it […]

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CELEBRATE AZ WATER WITH US ON THE VERDE RIVER!

September 21, 2018

[…] been federally designated as a Wild and Scenic River, which helps to protect the river flow and natural environment.   Photo by C. Williams Additional articles about the Verde River:  Celebrate AZ Water: Camp Verde is for the Birds! Here’s to Wine and Water Are you looking for other great places to explore in Arizona? Check out all of our Celebrate AZ […]

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Arbor Day is Friday!

April 23, 2019

[…] Arbor Day. His simple idea of setting aside a special day for tree planting is now more important than ever. The 1st official Arbor Day was created by Morton and celebrated in Nebraska in 1872. In the years following that first Arbor Day, Morton’s idea spread beyond Nebraska and today all 50 states celebrate Arbor Day. So what do trees […]

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Celebrating 20 Years with our Top 20 Water-Saving Resources

December 5, 2019

We are very excited to share with our readers that this year, Water – Use It Wisely celebrated its 20th anniversary of helping Arizonans save water with a variety of water-saving resources. What began in 1999 as a joint effort between Mesa, Phoenix, and Scottsdale to launch a water conservation campaign is now one of the largest conservation movements of […]

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APRIL IS ARIZONA WATER AWARENESS MONTH | 10 YRS CELEBRATING H2O!

April 4, 2018

[…] the Arizona WAM page to see if your water provider offer rebates for water-saving products, appliances, fixtures, and landscapes. Look for the Rebates section at the bottom of the homepage. Celebrate AZ Water. See Water – Use It Wisely’s Celebrate AZ Water series where we have featured numerous amazing stories about water in Arizona, including Alamo Lake, Boulder Creek, and the Hassayampa […]

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CELEBRATE AZ WATER AT BARTLETT LAKE

February 21, 2017

[…] indoor and outdoor seating, and is located at the marina adjacent to the store. This photo by K. Keilt is just one of over 1,000 entries for our Spring 2014 Celebrate AZ Water Photo Contest. It provided a stunning opportunity to celebrate the importance and wonder of water in Arizona and to reflect on one of our region’s most precious resources. […]

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Celebrate AZ Water: Tempe Town Lake – Making Waves in the Desert

February 19, 2019

[…] Lake Marina for a fee. To learn even more about Tempe Town Lake, please visit tempe.gov/lake. Be sure to check out our other Arizona water destinations and stories in our Celebrate AZ Water archives. Shannon Reed is a public information officer with the City of Tempe, one of 20 Water – Use It Wisely partners to offer water-saving advice and programs.  Fireworks […]

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Plant of the Month: In Celebration of Trees for Arbor Day

April 10, 2018

All about Arbor Day April 27 is designated as National Arbor Day, a holiday set aside to celebrate the significant role trees play in our lives and our environment. It is also a day to promote the planting and care of trees. The founder, J. Sterling Morton, had the idea of setting aside a special day for tree planting. As […]

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Thanks to our Water Heroes

September 22, 2020

[…] not exist. That is why Water Use It Wisely is pleased to take part in the statewide campaign – Thank a Water Worker Day, on September 23. This inaugural event celebrates all essential water workers across the State and honors the employees who provide our most valuable asset – water. This collaborative event is intended to build public awareness about […]

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CELEBRATE AZ WATER | BOULDER CREEK

March 30, 2017

[…] originally appeared on March 20, 2013 at WildernessDave.com and was reprinted with permission. The photo at the end of this blog by David C. was the winner of our Spring 2014 Celebrate AZ Water Photo Contest from over 1,000 entries. The contest provided a stunning opportunity to celebrate the importance and wonder of water in Arizona and to reflect on one of our region’s most precious resources.  PLAN B IN BOULDER CREEK… The plan was to hike a 12-13 mile loop down Second Water to Boulder Creek then up the trail along the creek to return via Lost Dutchman Trail. I was looking forward to hiking the creek and shooting some fun angles in Boulder Creek Canyon. Normally, Boulder Creek is a thin stream that casually babbles it’s way down the canyon. Crossing is not terribly difficult and the multiple creek crossings are part of the fun. What I hadn’t really planned for was the late Winter storm that rolled through Arizona (and much of the southwest) dumping tons of rain and dusting the local peaks with snow. I stuck to my plan and headed out to Lost Dutchman State Park figuring I’d hike my designated route, in the rain if need be, and explore this part of the Superstition Mountain Wilderness. When I hike, the “plan” isn’t much more than a loose sketch…an idea of where I’d like to end up depending entirely on what I might find along the way. I try to allow a lot of wiggle-room in my agenda and very rarely think of my proposed route as “set in stone.” Adaptability and flexibility are the name of the game. My dad used to say something to the effect of, “Plan B makes for better stories.” He was usually right. I had to slog through muddy, mucky trails and cross many drainage washes running with water. There had been so much rain, the ground was soft enough for me to sink a couple of inches with each step in places. For a good section of the downhill side heading into Boulder Creek Canyon the drainage ran down the trail itself (very happy I had my Ahnu waterproof boots with me on this one). Once I reached Boulder Creek I realized I might need to rethink my plans. The creek was swollen and brown with runoff and moving fast. I had already passed one group that had turned back at the creek, but I wanted to see it for myself. I tried desperately to follow my side of the creek looking for any sign of a trail, or a safe place to cross. I followed a sole set of footprints up the boulder strewn creek fighting through vegetation until I was finally choked out. I sat on a large boulder in the middle of the creek for a long time thinking about what I wanted to do. As I munched on a snack bar, I considered the option of crossing the creek to look for the trail. I considered heading up the canyon wall on my side to see if there was a trail higher up. All of these considerations were sketchy at best and if the storm decided to let loose with another downpour I could find myself trapped on the wrong side of the creek or, worse, caught in a flash flood. Boulder Creek, Superstition Wilderness, in flood stage after a rare rain/snow event illustrates how fleeting water is in the desert. The week before, and a week later, this same creek was barely a trickle of water. This photo was the winner of the Spring 2014 Celebrate AZ Water Photo Contest from over 1,000 entries. Eventually, I succumbed to reason and figured the smart thing for me (or anyone) hiking solo out in these conditions was to head back. I reluctantly headed back the way I came, fighting through the same brush and still looking for a missed opportunity to cross the creek. When I came back to where the original trail met the creek I tried my luck at crossing again but found nothing I deemed safe. So I decided to make the best of it and get the camera equipment out to play with. The storm hadn’t given me much of a sky to shoot. It was very gray and overcast, very little definition and the light was diffused and too soft to create dramatic shadows. My immediate thought was that it might be a good opportunity to play with slow exposure shots. A slow exposure might give me a little boost of light in the scenery. It would also allow me to play with the moving water effects that I always thought looked so cool. I shot a few canyon shots then started playing with exposure times. I took a few shots right down by the creek repeating the same shot with different exposure times to see what I would get. The new shutter remote I got worked perfectly for being able to stabilize the camera on the tripod and get the shot without the risk of shaking the camera. I eventually climbed up a small boulder cliff adjacent to the creek to get a better view of the canyon downstream. I snapped a couple of shots then turned the camera around and shot almost directly below me catching a scene where the creek was choked with smaller, colored rocks and desert riparian shrubs. The chocolate milk color of the storm-swollen creek softened the scene and when I slowed the exposure the movement of the water created a nice silky effect. The result was magical. This really turned out to be my personal favorite of this entire set. I love the colors, I love the contrasts, I love the composition. The lichen on the granite rock below me provided some really nice interest and texture to balance out the detail in the rocky side of the creek. The movement of the water flows nicely in a diagonal across the composition dividing the two opposing scenes. It just feels really nice to me. I intend to have this one blown up on a tall canvas wrap for my office. If I had not been forced to abandon Plan A and turn back, this shot would never have happened. I’m happy to see where Plan B took me. Celebrate AZ Water with us and see all the other amazing places you can visit and explore. > From time to time, Water – Use It Wisely features guest bloggers who write about topics related to water and water conservation. David Creech is a successful business owner and […]

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