Sedona City Councilwoman Jessica Williamson
Sedona AZ (January 27, 2015) – The City of Sedona submitted the following SedonaEye.com article written by Councilwoman Jessica Williamson:
Take another look at the Verde River. The Verde River flowing through Clarkdale and Cottonwood is the last free-flowing river in Arizona. Seven other Arizona rivers have been dammed. The Verde River emerges from springs east of Paulden. Hundreds of springs and seeps feed the river for about 150 miles before it flows into Horseshoe Lake, 40 miles northeast of Mesa. The Verde joins the Salt River before heading to Phoenix to meet their water needs.
When I first moved to Sedona in 2003, I heard there was a river down by Cottonwood. When I drove to Cottonwood I saw the big cottonwood trees and figured that was where the river was, but I never got very close to it. If I thought about the river at all I imagined it was full of old refrigerators and car radiators. Not somewhere I’d want to go. Then I got appointed as City Council liaison to the Verde Valley Land Preservation Institute.
At the first meeting I attended, they handed around a river map they’d created for kayakers and canoeists and talked about a project that was being done by the Verde Watershed Restoration Coalition to remove invasive vegetation that was lining the river and choking out native vegetation. That project employed veterans and seemed to me to be a great idea. I was surprised that so many individuals and groups seemed to be passionate about saving a river – a river I’d barely seen.
Since then I’ve kayaked on the Verde River twice and each time I was blown away by the delights the river offers. Most basically, it’s water flowing through desert land, land that’s been torn up over the many years we’ve been traipsing around this part of the county. The river is lined with trees; it’s cool and moist. There are flowers and bushes and birds and insects and fish. You’ll see damselflies and dragonflies. The water moves, and you move with it. It’s peaceful and alluring.
Article submitted by City of Sedona AZ
It’s also under threat. Unregulated wells and population growth in the watershed reduce the amount of water that flows into the river. Sedona is part of the Verde watershed, so the water we consume here reduces water available to the Verde River.
The way to preserve the river is to create a constituency that cares about it. VVLP and the Verde River Institute got me on the river, and now I care. The Verde River is becoming an important economic resource in the Verde Valley, which makes a lot of people care. Two or three companies now offer kayaking trips on the Verde and Clarkdale has developed 180 acres abutting the river to support sustainable river recreation.
Sedona’s tourism is increasingly a regional phenomenon. Tourists stay days in Sedona, spend money in Sedona, and while they’re here they visit the wineries and other regional amenities that make them stay longer. A strong and vibrant Verde River is part of what makes the Verde Valley captivating. Take a look at the Verde River. It’s a resource we can’t afford to lose.
The opinions above are mine alone and do not represent those of the City Council.
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