Friends Of The Verde River

TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY FOR A HEALTHY FLOWING VERDE RIVER SYSTEM

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING SERVICES - SUSTAINING FLOWS - THE VERDE RIVER IS ONE OF THE FEW RIVERS IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST TO FLOW YEAR-ROUND FOR ITS ENTIRE LENGTH. THREATS, SUCH AS GROUNDWATER PUMPING, POLLUTION, DIVERSIONS, DROUGHT AND CLIMATE CHANGE, MEAN THAT INNOVATION AND EFFORT IS REQUIRED TO SUSTAIN THE RIVER'S FLOWS. SUSTAINING FLOWS PROGRAMS AIM TO KEEP MORE WATER IN THE RIVERS AND CREEKS OF THE VERDE WATERSHED. IN FY22 WE LAUNCHED A NEW PROGRAM CALLED RIVER FRIENDLY LIVING. THROUGH RIVER FRIENDLY LIVING, WE ENSURE SUSTAINABLE WATER, CLEAN WATER, HEALTHY HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE, AND SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITIES. THE RFL PROGRAM CERTIFIED 11 HOMES, 8 BUSINESSES, 2 FARMS, AND 2 BUILDINGS OR DEVELOPMENTS AS RIVER FRIENDLY. WE ALSO AWARDED 10,000 IN SMALL GRANTS TO FOUR ORGANIZATIONS OR BUSINESS THAT ARE IMPROVING THE RIVER OR OUR COMMUNITIES. THROUGH THE VERDE RIVER EXCHANGE, WE KEPT OVER 4 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER IN THE VERDE RIVER.

ENVIRONMENT, CONSERVATION AND WILDLIFE - HABITAT RESTORATION- THE VERDE RIVER SUPPORTS IMPORTANT UNIQUE WATER-DEPENDENT ECOSYSTEMS IN ARIZONA. OVER 270 SPECIES OF BIRDS, 94 SPECIES OF MAMMALS, 76 SPECIES OF NATIVE AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES, AND COUNTLESS INVERTEBRATES USE THE VERDE RIVER SYSTEM AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIFE CYCLES. FRIENDS OF THE VERDE RIVER WORKS WITH MEMBERS OF THE VERDE WATERSHED RESTORATION COALITION (VWRC), A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT UNITING PRIVATE LANDOWNERS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND AGENCIES WITH A COMMON INTEREST IN THE HEALTH OF THE VERDE RIVER WATERSHED. IN FY 22, WE MONITORED AND TREATED 1915 ACRES OF HABITAT, HELD VOLUNTEER EVENTS, AND WORKED WITH 14 NEW PRIVATE LANDOWNERS.

NATURE PARKS AND OTHER SIMILAR - PROMOTING COMMUNITY STEWARDSHIP THE VERDE RIVER LINKS PEOPLE TOGETHER, IMPROVING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AROUND NATURE. THE 2022 MLK DAY OF SERVICE ENGAGED OVER 50 PEOPLE IN HABITAT RESTORATION. VERDE WATER WATCHERS, A NEW GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS THAT IS MONITORING WATER POLLUTION IN LOWER OAK CREEK, COLLECTED 40 WATER SAMPLES OVER THE YEAR. DURING THE 2022 VERDE BIOBLITZ, 419 OBSERVERS MADE 4,762 OBSERVATIONS OF 1,164 ANIMALS OR PLANTS OVER TWO WEEKS IN APRIL, ADVANCING OUR KNOWLEDGE AND ENGAGING YOUTH IN NATURE. ALSO IN APRIL, 300 PEOPLE REGISTERED FOR THE VERDE VALLEY BIRDING & NATURE FESTIVAL, FOUR DAYS OF BIRDING TRIPS AND WORKSHOPS CENTERED IN COTTONWOOD.