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Oak Creek Watershed Council Awarded Grant Extension

Oak Creek

Sedona, AZ – The original two year grant awarded to the Oak Creek Watershed Council (OCWC) by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the federal Clean Water Act to develop the Oak Creek Watershed Improvement Plan has been extended an additional year to September 30, 2012.   

Oak Creek is classified as an “outstanding” Arizona watercourse, but in spite of multiple efforts and funding during the last twenty years to identify and eliminate sources of fecal contamination, impairment by the fecal coliform Escherichia coli (E.coli) continues to be a persistent problem. The goal of the Oak Creek Watershed Improvement Plan (OCWIP) is to identify critical sites for the implementation of best management practices throughout the watershed to address Oak Creek’s E. coli impairment.

 “The extension of time will allow us to finalize the OCWIP documents and implement some solutions” said Barry Allan, OCWC Executive Director.  “It will also enable us to develop a comprehensive Community Outreach Program to educate residents and visitors to Oak Creek in good stewardship of its use, while at the same time mobilizing a “boots-on-the-ground” volunteer task force to participate in a litter and trash pick-up program that will eventually involve the entire length of Oak Creek.  A monitoring program will also be developed and implemented.” 

Barry Allan, OCWC Executive Director

Direct funding for the original two year grant was $311,600 and the extension will include an additional $225,000. These amounts are 60% of the total funding and the Oak Creek Watershed Council is required to provide matching funds of the remaining 40%. 

“Our technical team and volunteer sampling force under the direction of the Watershed Improvement Committee (WIC) have been making excellent progress during the past few months” said Morgan Stine, Project Manager and Managing Director, “and we’ve submitted draft copies of the first part of the Plan to ADEQ for their review.  We’re still collecting and analyzing data, however, so it’s too early to release any results at this time.”  

The involvement of the watershed community has also been critical to the success of this planning and implementation effort, and will continue to be during the development of the Community Outreach Program next year. “We will be extending an invitation to local community groups, Sedona, Coconino and Yavapai county officials, the business community and watershed residents to participate in the planning of this comprehensive program” said Allan, “as it will need widespread input and cooperation in order to be effective.” 

The Oak Creek Watershed Council is a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 corporation dedicated to the preserving the integrity of Oak Creek, and the Oak Creek watershed environment. 

Mark your calendars to vote in the City of Sedona Special election November 8, 2011

1 Comment

  1. Paul Miller, Phoenix AZ says:

    If you live in any rural area this is worth your time to watch as it unfolds as it is harbinger of future water issues in many western states …. The Draft EIS for the SNWA‘s pipeline project, aka ‘Las Vegas Water Grab’, ‘Patty’s Pipe’, and a few other things I can’t mention here, is out and the BLM has announced that it will extend the public comment period until 11 October 2011.

    Access the document and information here. http://www.blm.gov/5w5c

    Here is an overview: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/prog/planning/groundwater_projects/snwa_groundwater_project.html

    And here is the whole enchilada: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/prog/planning/groundwater_projects/snwa_groundwater_project/draft_eis.html

    Steve Erickson, Utah Coordinator of the Great Basin Water Network (GBWN) had a recent Op-Ed about the project in the Salt Lake Tribune.

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