Verde River
Encyclopedia
The Verde River is the north and northwestern watershed of the Salt River
–Verde River Watershed that co-join and enter the Gila River
at Phoenix, Arizona
, located in the U.S.
state of Arizona
. It is approximately 170 mi (273.5 km) long and carries a mean flow of 1120 ft³/s (31.7 m³/s) at its mouth with the Salt River making it one of the largest perennial rivers within the state.
that catches water from the Big Chino Wash and Williamson Valley Wash combining to create Sullivan Lake in Yavapai County, Arizona
. This occurs during periods of sufficient precipitation. The Verde flows freely above and below ground for 125 miles (200 km) through private, state, tribal and United States Forest Service
lands, specifically the Tonto National Forest
, before encountering the first of two dams that make Horseshoe Lake and Bartlett Lake. The Verde River and the Salt River confluence near Fountain Hills. The cities of Camp Verde
, Clarkdale
and Cottonwood
are located along the river
and constitute the primary population centers.
In 1984 the United States Congress
designated approximately 65 mi (100 km) of the Verde as Wild and Scenic through the National Wild and Scenic River
program.
In 1987, a six mile (10 km) stretch of the river was identified by the state of Arizona as a critical natural resource that needed protection and management. This reach of the Verde River, located between the town of Clarkdale (near the Tuzigoot National Monument
) and the Bridgeport State Route 89A Bridge, became part of the Arizona State Parks system. The park, which encompasses some 700 acres (2.8 km²), is known today as the Verde River Greenway State Natural Area.
, and including Kit Carson
, dating to 1829. Edgar Alexander Mearns
wrote in his 1907 naturalist survey “Mammals of the Mexican Boundary of
the United States" that beaver were present on nearly all streams of the Colorado Basin
. Re-introductions of beaver in recent times have transformed even small desert streams into robust riparian habitat, increasing species abundance and diversity.
s and kayak
s is a popular past time on the Verde as it runs through scenic valleys and the Mazatzal Wilderness. The facilities described below are maintained by the Tonto National Forest
authority.
, Bullhead
, Carp
- 80 fishable miles, mostly near the Clarkdale
area in North Central Arizona
Bloody Basin area: Largemouth Bass
, Smallmouth Bass
, Crappie
, Sunfish
, Catfish (Channel)
, Catfish (Flathead)
, Carp
- 30 fishable miles
Area Below Horseshoe Lake: Largemouth Bass
, Smallmouth Bass
, Sunfish
, Catfish (Channel)
, Catfish (Flathead)
, Tilapia
, Carp
, Bullfrog
s - 12 fishable miles
Area Below Bartlett Lake: Rainbow Trout
, Largemouth Bass
, Smallmouth Bass
, Sunfish
, Catfish (Channel)
, Catfish (Flathead)
, Carp
, Bullfrog
s - 20 fishable miles
Salt River (Arizona)
The Salt River is a stream in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the largest tributary of the Gila River. The river is about long. Its drainage basin is about large. The longest of the Salt River's many tributaries is the Verde River...
–Verde River Watershed that co-join and enter the Gila River
Gila River
The Gila River is a tributary of the Colorado River, 650 miles long, in the southwestern states of New Mexico and Arizona.-Description:...
at Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, located in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. It is approximately 170 mi (273.5 km) long and carries a mean flow of 1120 ft³/s (31.7 m³/s) at its mouth with the Salt River making it one of the largest perennial rivers within the state.
Description
The head of the Verde River begins below the damDam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
that catches water from the Big Chino Wash and Williamson Valley Wash combining to create Sullivan Lake in Yavapai County, Arizona
Yavapai County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*89.3% White*0.6% Black*1.7% Native American*0.8% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.5% Two or more races*5.0% Other races*13.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. This occurs during periods of sufficient precipitation. The Verde flows freely above and below ground for 125 miles (200 km) through private, state, tribal and United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
lands, specifically the Tonto National Forest
Tonto National Forest
The Tonto National Forest, encompassing 2,873,200 acres , is the largest of the six national forests in Arizona and is the fifth largest national forest in the United States. The Tonto National Forest has diverse scenery, with elevations ranging from 1,400 feet in the Sonoran Desert to 7,400 feet...
, before encountering the first of two dams that make Horseshoe Lake and Bartlett Lake. The Verde River and the Salt River confluence near Fountain Hills. The cities of Camp Verde
Camp Verde, Arizona
Camp Verde is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 10,610....
, Clarkdale
Clarkdale, Arizona
Clarkdale is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 3,836.Clarkdale, formerly a mining town, is now largely a retirement community with an eye for the arts.-History:...
and Cottonwood
Cottonwood, Arizona
Cottonwood is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 11,171.-Geography:Cottonwood is located at ....
are located along the river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
and constitute the primary population centers.
In 1984 the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
designated approximately 65 mi (100 km) of the Verde as Wild and Scenic through the National Wild and Scenic River
National Wild and Scenic River
National Wild and Scenic River is a designation for certain protected areas in the United States.The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was an outgrowth of the recommendations of a Presidential commission, the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission...
program.
In 1987, a six mile (10 km) stretch of the river was identified by the state of Arizona as a critical natural resource that needed protection and management. This reach of the Verde River, located between the town of Clarkdale (near the Tuzigoot National Monument
Tuzigoot National Monument
Tuzigoot National Monument preserves a 2 to 3 story pueblo ruin on the summit of a limestone and sandstone ridge just east of Clarkdale, Arizona, 120 feet above the Verde River floodplain. The pueblo has 110 rooms...
) and the Bridgeport State Route 89A Bridge, became part of the Arizona State Parks system. The park, which encompasses some 700 acres (2.8 km²), is known today as the Verde River Greenway State Natural Area.
Ecology
North American beaver (Castor canadensis) were trapped "with considerable success" on the Verde River by fur trappers lead by Ewing YoungEwing Young
Ewing Young was an American fur trapper and trader from Tennessee who traveled Mexican southwestern North America and California before settling in the Oregon Country. As a prominent and wealthy citizen there, his death was the impetus for the early formation of government in what became the state...
, and including Kit Carson
Kit Carson
Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson was an American frontiersman and Indian fighter. Carson left home in rural present-day Missouri at age 16 and became a Mountain man and trapper in the West. Carson explored the west to California, and north through the Rocky Mountains. He lived among and married...
, dating to 1829. Edgar Alexander Mearns
Edgar Alexander Mearns
Edgar Alexander Mearns was a notable American ornithologist and field naturalist....
wrote in his 1907 naturalist survey “Mammals of the Mexican Boundary of
the United States" that beaver were present on nearly all streams of the Colorado Basin
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
. Re-introductions of beaver in recent times have transformed even small desert streams into robust riparian habitat, increasing species abundance and diversity.
Recreation on the Verde River
Floating raftRaft
A raft is any flat structure for support or transportation over water. It is the most basic of boat design, characterized by the absence of a hull...
s and kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
s is a popular past time on the Verde as it runs through scenic valleys and the Mazatzal Wilderness. The facilities described below are maintained by the Tonto National Forest
Tonto National Forest
The Tonto National Forest, encompassing 2,873,200 acres , is the largest of the six national forests in Arizona and is the fifth largest national forest in the United States. The Tonto National Forest has diverse scenery, with elevations ranging from 1,400 feet in the Sonoran Desert to 7,400 feet...
authority.
Fish Species
Upper Verde River: WalleyeWalleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, Bullhead
Bullhead catfish
Ameiurus is a genus of catfishes in the family Ictaluridae. It contains the three common types of bullhead catfish found in waters of the United States, the black bullhead , the brown bullhead , and the yellow bullhead , as well as other species, such as the white catfish Ameiurus is a genus of...
, Carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
- 80 fishable miles, mostly near the Clarkdale
Clarkdale, Arizona
Clarkdale is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 3,836.Clarkdale, formerly a mining town, is now largely a retirement community with an eye for the arts.-History:...
area in North Central Arizona
North Central Arizona
North Central Arizona is a geographical region of Arizona. It is in the Transition Zone between the Basin and Range province and the Colorado Plateau, and has some of the most rugged and scenic landscapes in Arizona....
Bloody Basin area: Largemouth Bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
, Crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
, Sunfish
Centrarchidae
The sunfishes are a family of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the order Perciformes. The type genus is Centrarchus . The family's 27 species includes many fishes familiar to North Americans, including the rock bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and crappies...
, Catfish (Channel)
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
, Catfish (Flathead)
Flathead catfish
The flathead catfish , also called the yellow cat, opelousas, and shovelhead cat, are large North American freshwater catfish. This is the only species of the genus Pylodictis...
, Carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
- 30 fishable miles
Area Below Horseshoe Lake: Largemouth Bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
, Sunfish
Centrarchidae
The sunfishes are a family of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the order Perciformes. The type genus is Centrarchus . The family's 27 species includes many fishes familiar to North Americans, including the rock bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and crappies...
, Catfish (Channel)
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
, Catfish (Flathead)
Flathead catfish
The flathead catfish , also called the yellow cat, opelousas, and shovelhead cat, are large North American freshwater catfish. This is the only species of the genus Pylodictis...
, Tilapia
Tilapia
Tilapia , is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats, including shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisan fishing in Africa and the...
, Carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
, Bullfrog
Bullfrog
The American bullfrog , often simply known as the bullfrog in Canada and the United States, is an aquatic frog, a member of the family Ranidae, or “true frogs”, native to much of North America. This is a frog of larger, permanent water bodies, swamps, ponds, and lakes, where it is usually found...
s - 12 fishable miles
Area Below Bartlett Lake: Rainbow Trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
, Largemouth Bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
, Sunfish
Centrarchidae
The sunfishes are a family of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the order Perciformes. The type genus is Centrarchus . The family's 27 species includes many fishes familiar to North Americans, including the rock bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and crappies...
, Catfish (Channel)
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
, Catfish (Flathead)
Flathead catfish
The flathead catfish , also called the yellow cat, opelousas, and shovelhead cat, are large North American freshwater catfish. This is the only species of the genus Pylodictis...
, Carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
, Bullfrog
Bullfrog
The American bullfrog , often simply known as the bullfrog in Canada and the United States, is an aquatic frog, a member of the family Ranidae, or “true frogs”, native to much of North America. This is a frog of larger, permanent water bodies, swamps, ponds, and lakes, where it is usually found...
s - 20 fishable miles
See also
- List of Arizona rivers
- List of National Wild and Scenic Rivers
- List of tributaries of the Colorado River