From its source on the Mogollon Rim near Washington Park north of Payson, the East Verde River flows southwest through Tonto National Forest, feeding a gorgeous swath of greenery before merging with the Verde River.
Over its 34-mile length, the central Arizona waterway cuts through a transitional landscape where the desert creeps up against sheer rock escarpments at the edge of the Colorado Plateau, trickling down from an environment of tall pines and forest lakes into high desert scrub and the rugged backcountry of the Mazatzal Wilderness.
Where the tributary stream wraps around Houston Mesa Road at its confluence with Ellison Creek, the Water Wheel group of recreation sites attract anglers, swimmers and hikers. Those who don’t mind crowds, noise and day-use fees will have a blast at these splashy, easy-access hot spots.
This year marks the 63rd ride of the Navajo County Sheriff’s Posse Hashknife Pony Express. The 200-mile route typically takes place every February, but was moved to April this year
Sedona Red Rock News
Director of Horticulture Dan Smith stands in one of Sky Ranch Lodge’s lowwater
gardens on Friday, April 2. Water-conscious gardens are one of the reason’s the
Sky Ranch Lodge is “sustainable” certified according to the Sustainability Alliance.
David Jolkovski/Larson Newspapers
It is officially April, which means Earth Day is right around the corner. Rather than just celebrate Earth Day on April 22, the Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau launched an Earth Month initiative to engage residents and visitors in the drive to sustainability.
“Our goal is to highlight the progress of our partners dedicated to fulfilling the Sedona Sustainable Tourism Plan throughout April, while promoting initiatives we hope residents and visitors alike will undertake so we can all continue our sustainability journey together,” Sedona Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Candace Carr Strauss said.
Executive Director Cherie Koss outlined the number of changes and plans in a recent press release.
Partnering with Museum Pros, a Chandler-based museum design firm, the River of Time Board of Directors has approved accessing reserve funds to continue the renovation that began in the orientation room last summer.
Thanks to a grant from the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation 202 funding, the completed first experience welcomes visitors to the beauty and diversity found along the Lower Verde River. Video and sound engage visitors as they paddle along the river through time from pre-human history through today.
The remainder of the renovation is defined by interactivity. The visitor will be immersed not only in the history of the Lower Verde River Valley, but experiential elements will replicate life along this historic waterway. Specially curated artifacts and fabricated replicas will lend realism to each display.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) works hard to provide fun and unique fishing opportunities for anglers. Arizona has two native trout species that many anglers have on their bucket list to catch, Gila and Apache trout. The department has stocked these two threatened species in selected waters in the state.
Anglers are always interested in new fishing opportunities, and sometimes that comes with added responsibilities. That is the case with some trout streams recently identified by AZGFD. The department has been working for several years to establish recovery streams for Gila and Apache trout populations. Many of these streams are in Rim Country and the White Mountains in areas where these fish were found historically. Some of these streams will soon be open to fishing with restrictions, offering anglers a chance to catch wild, native Arizona trout.