Chairman Thomas Beauty Presentation
Cottonwood AZ (September 3, 2015) – On Wednesday, September 16th at 10:30 a.m., Thomas Beauty, Chairman of the Yavapai-Apache Nation, will present “As Long as the River Flows, Life Will Be Good.” This free public presentation will be at the Yavapai County Administration Building in Cottonwood, 10 South 6th Street, in the Verde Room. This event is part of the Verde River Basin Partnership’s (Partnership) ongoing monthly program series for the public.
The Yavapai-Apache People have been in the Verde Valley for time immemorial and their history is inextricably intertwined with the River that carved it. Today the river is at risk of going dry in the foreseeable future and we all have a stake in keeping it flowing.
People are flooding into the Valley, but none of them are bringing any water with them, only the need for it. The Yavapai-Apache People believe that the best hope for the river is a Federal Water Settlement with a dedicated in-stream flow. If everyone does not work together in a meaningful way, and soon, to save the river, it will be gone and with it the economy of the greater Verde Valley.
Chairman Beauty is a life-long resident of Camp Verde and is serving his second term as Tribal Chairman. He is also the President of the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, whose mission is to provide its member tribes with a united voice and the means for united action on matters that affect them collectively or individually.
The Partnership is a scientific and educational resource raising awareness among citizens and community leaders about the Verde River Basin’s interconnected groundwater and surface water systems, and the life they support. To find out more about their monthly programs and to browse educational materials relating to shared-water resources, please visit www.vrbp.org.