Save the Verde!
Center for Biological Diversity 
Update & Calendar January 7, 2008

Greetings,

We wish you a peaceful and "green" 2008! Thanks for taking the time to catch up on recent water and Verde-related goings on. The big news is that the monster Salt River Project has jumped onto the scene and made clear their demands for protecting Verde River base flows. The currents are shifting and a New Year of change may well be upon us. But as development continues and our water resources are further stretched, we must continue to DEMAND A PLAN – Habitat Conservation Plan, that is – and hold elected officials accountable for their actions that affect the future of the Verde River.

If you've missed an update or are new to the list, check out our archives!

SRP Demands Mitigation Plan
The 800-lb. gorilla finally unleashed a chest-pounding warning to Prescott area officials. In a December 11 letter to Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, and Prescott, Salt River Project used strong language to detail the "expectations regarding the protection of flows in the Verde River," focusing on a "no net loss" approach.

Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Herb Guenther has stated publicly that if pumping exceeds recharge, there will an impact on the base flow of the Upper Verde. The SRP letter reiterates this emphasizing the 62,000 acre-feet per year of current and pending withdrawal and only 23,000 acre-feet per year of natural recharge.

The letter also provides an "illustrative list" of measures that must be implemented prior to pumping groundwater, including basin-wide down-gradient monitoring in place one year before pumping, establishment of decline threshold in down-gradient wells to trigger certain actions and avoid impacts, and "no harm threshold" established at the Paulden gauge.

The mitigation list includes purchasing and retiring more agricultural lands, purchasing development rights, executing permanent conservation easements on Big Chino Water Ranch, CV Ranch, and Wineglass Ranch, and allowing credits for retirement of historically irrigated lands at the true rate of historic irrigation.

SRP supports our call for a Habitat Conservation Plan that includes a detailed, quantifiable, actionable mitigation strategy to offset and/or avoid the reduction of base flow to the Verde River and any resulting impacts to imperiled, threatened, or endangered species and their habitat. Such a plan must be in place prior to pipeline construction. Click on the links below to read the SRP letter and related articles.

SRP letter
Verde Independent: SRP Concerned with Big Chino
The Daily Courier: SRP Increases Pressure for Mitigation Plan
The Daily Courier: Letter from Town of Chino Valley to the Salt River Project 

"Fishing for Answers" Quiz!
Question: What three species types of sucker are native to the Verde River? Which has designated critical habitat? (Answers located at the bottom of the page.)

Watershed Wednesdays Series at the Raven Café - Make a Date with the Verde
Join Save the Verde and Friends to celebrate the Verde River on January 9 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. with an encore performance of "Let It Flow: The Magnetic Poetry Approach to Telling Your Elected Officials What You Think." Don't let writer's block allow the Verde to run dry! Letter writers can win door prizes, including a Verde River boat trip. Our December event generated letters from a community ready to take action! Tip: You won't want to miss seeing the "Refrigerators" in action.

Check out the calendar for details on this event and future Watershed Wednesdays on February 13, March 12, and April 16.

Verde River Week
The amazing, inspiring, something-for-everyone 10-day celebration of the Verde River is close at hand. We're banking on a flood of fun and festivity in the Prescott area and environs and beyond. Plan to get involved with the Verde River April 12 to 20. Events include poetry and musical performances, films, and an Upper Verde Field Trip. Watch for details! Contact Edie or Joanne if you can join the fun.

Verde Civic Award Winner
Every year the Verde River Citizens Alliance honors those individuals who, in the judgment of the Executive Board, have made an outstanding contribution to the preservation of the Verde River. This year the VRCA honored Michelle Harrington, rivers conservation manager for the Center for Biological Diversity, Daily Courier journalist Joanna Dodder, Camp Verde Mayor Tony Gioia, and former U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist Bill Meyer.

Next Upper Verde River Watershed Protection Coalition meeting January 23
Please attend the next UVRWPC meeting at the Prescott City Council Chambers (201 South Cortez, Prescott) at 2 p.m. on January 23. With the strongly stated letter from Salt River Project demanding protection of the Verde in coalition members' hands, the response from the members and a floor open to public comments could prove exciting. Agendas and meeting minutes are posted here.

New Habitat for "Fish"
Center staff and friends redefined fish habitat with appearances at two area Christmas parades. Our crew dazzled the crowd and parade officials with our colorful scales and smooth moves at the 25th annual Prescott Christmas parade. We asked onlookers for action to assure 25 times 25 years of protection for the Verde, and the "Water Guzzler" demonstrated what Scrooge might want – water for people and none for the fish!! 

In Camp Verde, our "school" went electric at the Christmas Parade of Lights. A hardy group of lighted fishies and a trailer float from Sedona Spirit Trails Expeditions encouraged chilly parade goers to Save the Verde!

Calendar
Check out the latest calendar of events! If you have an item for the calendar or want more information, please contact Joanne at (928) 772-8204 or Michelle at (602) 628-9909.

Coalition to Consider an HCP?
At the December 12 meeting of the Upper Verde River Watershed Protection Coalition's Technical Advisory Committee, a list of potential tasks for the committee was discussed, and the column headings of the chart below reflect the source of the project idea. Notice what a difference public input at the Coalition meetings made! This is the debut of the words "Habitat Conservation Plan" in a public Coalition document. Thank YOU for demanding a plan and attending Coalition meetings!!

The UVRWPC TAC meetings take place at 1 p.m. at the County Administration Building, 1015 Fair Street in the Gladys Gardner Conference Room, first floor (next meeting - January 15). No public comments are entertained here, but feel free to speak up at the next regular Coalition meeting on Wednesday, January 23 at 2 p.m. in the Prescott City Council Chambers, 201 Cortez Street, Prescott. Let the decision-makers know we are watching them, and we expect them to keep Verde River protection first on their list!

County Approves Regional Water Study
The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors recently approved an Appraisal Level Water Resources Study. The $600,000 three-year study, recommended by the Water Advisory Committee, will assess long-term regional water resource planning. WAC Director John Rasmussen said the study would look at water needs "at an appraisal level - current demands, future demands and where demand would be met." The study will help the supervisors determine whether to conduct a feasibility study. Rasmussen said the study should answer three questions: Does a problem (unmet water demand) exist; does the problem have at least one potential solution; and does the federal government have an interest? The $600,000 cost would be shared between the WAC, the Arizona Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, with Reclamation picking up half. All relevant in-kind services would count toward the cost share, and WAC would receive credit for a previous $60,000 study. Bureau of Reclamation representative Leslie Myers said the agency is looking for more than just details. She said it is looking for consent among the study partners.

Check the Pulse of the Salt and Verde Watersheds
Now at your fingertips - data for the Salt and Verde watersheds collected by the USGS and Salt River Project at http://www.watershedmonitor.com/. Find precipitation and flow data throughout the watersheds of the Salt and Verde Rivers allowing the public to “check the pulse” of the watersheds. This is great information for citizen activists!

Water's the Word
Whether it's the retaining wall water damage at the Lowe's store on Highway 69 or Board of Supervisors approval of an Appraisal Level Water Resources Study, there’s SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE to comment about. Visit the links below to see who’s saying what. Then let your thoughts flow onto the page!

Online Letters to the Editor:

RESPOND TO A LETTER OR EDITORIAL -
You read 'em – why not add your own comment? It's easy. Follow this link to see what's up in the Prescott Daily Courier, then respond with your own opinion. Most newspapers provide comment space after letters to the editor.

OR SUBMIT YOUR OWN LETTER by clicking on these links -
Prescott Daily Courier
Verde Independent
Camp Verde Bugle
Prescott Valley Tribune
The Arizona Republic

Blogs and More Blogs links:

Freshwater Footprint *NEW BLOG* You might be surprised at what you find at this site. Check it out!
CourierWatch
Press Pass
Waterblogged by Shaun McKinnon. "Follow the currents, from the snowpack to the rivers, to the lakes and aquifers, to the people who control it all."
Verde River Network

Time for More Letters!
Hosting a house party is one of the most effective ways for our campaign to generate letters to elected officials encouraging their support for habitat protection and regional watershed management. All you have to do is let us know you want to host a party, invite a few friends, provide some food and beverages, and we'll show up with some entertainment, ideas and materials. We want to continue sending letters to elected officials about providing habitat protection for the upper Verde River. If you're short on friends who can help, we'll find some for you — our phone list is growing! Please contact Joanne at (928) 772-8204 if you're interested in hosting a House Party.

Visit SaveTheVerde.org
And click to Take Action! From the site you can send letters to the editor of local papers and send letters to decision-makers. You don't have to wait for a house party! Send a letter now!! You can also download a Little Drop of Water to decorate and send us.

Make a Contribution
The Center for Biological Diversity appreciates your interest and involvement in the Save the Verde campaign. Please visit savetheverde.org for other news and updates. You can make a donation to this campaign from the secure Web site. Please contribute today!

"Fishing for Answers" Quiz Answer:  Razorback, Sonora, and Desert. Only the razorback has designated critical habitat.