Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde ValleySedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley
    Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley
    • Home
    • Sedona
      • Arts and Entertainment
      • Bear Howard Chronicles
      • Business Profiles
      • City of Sedona
      • Elections
      • Goodies & Freebies
      • Mind & Body
      • Sedona News
    • Opinion
    • Real Estate
    • About
    • The Sedonan
    • Advertise
    • Sedona’s Best
    Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde ValleySedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley
    Home»Sedona News»Upper Verde River Threatened by Big Chino Pumping: Why It’s a Big Deal
    Sedona News

    Upper Verde River Threatened by Big Chino Pumping: Why It’s a Big Deal

    August 23, 2022No Comments
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Reddit WhatsApp
    stock cwag VerdeScenic
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email Reddit WhatsApp

    Verde Valley News – Groundwater pumping from the Big Chino aquifer is the single largest threat to the base flow of the upper Verde River, the headwaters of Arizona’s most extensive living river. The impact of that pumping, compounded by the effects of climate change, has resulted in an alarming decline of river flow. Gary Beverly and Ed Wolfe, both members of the executive committee of the Citizens Water Advocacy Group (CWAG), will explain the connection between groundwater use and river viability, the flaws in Arizona groundwater laws that allow for unsustainable pumping and the critical importance of the upper Verde to the region’s economy and ecosystems in a Zoom webinar on Saturday, Sept.10, from 10 a.m. to 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 .

    Big Chino groundwater is the lifeline of the upper Verde, supplying over 80% of its base flow. Wolfe will explain how withdrawals from the Big Chino aquifer diminish the flow at Verde Springs. Removing 1,000 acre-feet per year (afy) of water from the aquifer, for example, eventually diminishes the flow from the Springs by that same amount. Using graphs based largely on U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data, Wolfe will show how the combination of pumping demands from agriculture and unrelenting housing development, plus multi-decadal drought, have already led to a reduction of nearly 260 afy of lowest annual base flow. If the current trends continue, perennial flow will be temporarily lost annually before the end of this century.

    Beverly will talk about the outdated, confusing Arizona groundwater management laws, many of which have lax regulations and loopholes that can grant many users unlimited pumping rights. He will also detail the significance of the upper Verde, the 25-mile stretch that feeds the remainder of the river, as well as the river as a whole, which is both an economic driver and habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals, including 78% of Arizona’s breeding bird species, 89% of bat and carnivore species, 83% of native ungulate species, and 76% of reptiles and amphibian genuses.

    Sedona Gift Shop

    Edward W. Wolfe, Ph.D., an initial member of the CWAG board, is a retired geologist who spent his 40-year career with the USGS, which included geologic studies in central and northern Arizona.

    Gary Beverly, past president of CWAG, joined the organization in 2010 and is currently Public Policy Committee Chair. He holds a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of California, previously taught physical science and alternative energy at Yavapai College, and also worked as a farmer, contractor, and businessman. Since retiring, he is an environmental activist focused on protecting the Verde River.

    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  .

    Healing Paws

    This is an advertisement

    Comments are closed.

    If I Were Curtis Sliwa
    By Tommy Acosta

    One of my guilty little pleasures is imagining what I would do if I was in someone else’s shoes, especially politicians. In this essay I would love to jump into the shoes of Curtis Sliwa, a former New York City vigilante who founded the Guardian Angels and is now running as a Republican for mayor of his city.

    Read more→

    The Sedonan
    House of Seven Arches
    Need More Customers?
    Bear Howard Chronicles
    Humankind
    Tlaquepaque
    Verde Valley Wine Trail
    Recent Comments
    • Mark Harris on The Attics of Conscience — What Could Soon Happen in Sedona and Across America
    • Daniel J Sullivan MDJD on If I Was Curtis Sliwa
    • Jill Dougherty on If I Was Curtis Sliwa
    • Blue on Between Bombs and Olive Branches: The Art of the Deal
    • Blue on The Attics of Conscience — What Could Soon Happen in Sedona and Across America
    • Charles H Blum on License to Spy
    • TJ Hall on If I Was Curtis Sliwa
    • JB on If I Was Curtis Sliwa
    • Stephanie lenore Maciel on The Attics of Conscience — What Could Soon Happen in Sedona and Across America
    • Michael Schroeder on The Attics of Conscience — What Could Soon Happen in Sedona and Across America
    • Michael Schroeder on License to Spy
    • Brian mcgillin on If I Was Curtis Sliwa
    • TJ Hall on If I Was Curtis Sliwa
    • JB on If I Was Curtis Sliwa
    • Jill Dougherty on Cottonwood, Verde Valley Residents Join Largest Protest Yet to Reject Abuses of Power
    Archives
    The Sedonan
    © 2025 All rights reserved. Sedona.biz.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.