Verde Valley News – What’s up at Watson, Willow and Goldwater Lakes? How have changes in the regulatory landscape impacted the city’s stewardship of those lakes? Matt Killeen, the City of Prescott’s Environmental Coordinator, will present new and evolving information on the water quality of Prescott’s lakes and creeks, dispel misinformation, and talk about the city’s rainwater harvesting project at the Rodeo Grounds during a Zoom webinar presented by the Citizens Water Advocacy Group (CWAG) on Saturday, Feb. 12, from 10 a.m. – noon. A question and answer period will follow the presentation. The Zoom registration link is posted in the “Next Meeting” section at www.cwagaz.org .Killeen will review the findings of a 2020 study of Watson Lake and will discuss the city’s forthcoming remediation measures, including lake aeration, the introduction of herbivorous fish, and the application of nutrient binding clay. He will also explain the critical relationship between Prescott’s creeks and its three lakes, all of which are man-made, and how citizens can help keep them clean by following proper disposal methods for animal waste, household chemicals, unused medications and yard debris that can find their way into a downstream waterbody.
In addition, Killeen will report on Prescott’s cooperative rainwater harvesting and aquifer recharge project at the Rodeo Grounds. The system has the capability to recharge up to 0.87 acre-feet annually and has the additional benefits of reducing the volume of stormwater generated from building rooftops and the amount of animal waste found in rainfall sheet flow.
Prior to joining the City of Prescott in 2016, Matt Killeen spent 15 years managing riparian nature preserves in southeastern Arizona and before that worked in fisheries in the Pacific Northwest and in Nepal.
CWAG is a local citizens group advocating for a secure water future for Prescott and central Yavapai County and for the protection of the upper Verde River. For more information, visit www.cwagaz.org, or email info@cwagaz.org .