The Verde Watershed Restoration Coalition (VWRC; pronounced "Vee-Work" ) is a collaborative effort uniting landowners, organizations and agencies in their common interest in the health of the Verde River Watershed. Established in 2010, VWRC is hosted by the nonprofit Friends of the Verde River Greenway (FVRG).
VWRC is working towards the following vision: The Verde River and its tributaries comprise a diverse, self-sustaining, and resilient riparian ecosystem in which invasive plant species are controlled through cooperative stakeholder participation.
The VWRC geographic project scope covers the Verde River from its headwaters to Sheep's Bridge, where flow decreases or ceases. In total, it includes 32,000 acres on 459.2 miles of the Verde River and its major tributaries - an ambitious project area that requires collaboration amongst a broad range of stakeholders, and a multi-year approach.
Watershed Concerns
The Verde River of central Arizona is treasured for its wildlife habitat, water supply, recreational opportunities, and natural beauty. It is one of the most substantial free-flowing rivers in Arizona; an arid landscape where scarce surface water and riparian areas provide critically important resources for both humans and wildlife. Although the Verde River corridor supports native riparian vegetation communities, high-priority invasive species — particularly tamarisk, Russian olive, tree of heaven, and giant reed— threaten the health and sustainability of these communities. Further, dense, expanding infestations of giant reed and tamarisk- both fire-adapted species- have increased fire hazard in riparian corridors.
Goals
Ecological: Reduce invasive woody and herbaceous plant species through various control methods within the Coconino, Maricopa, and Yavapai County FEMA floodplain.
Social: Educate the local community and public about the economic and social value of a healthy river system, and the prevention and removal of invasive species, their detrimental effects, and the services and funding that are available to remove invasive species on their land.
Economic: Give the local community economic incentives and employment opportunities for removing invasive plant species on their own property.
Management: Establish a multi-stakeholder group to accomplish the ecological, social, and economic goals and to monitor the project’s success over the long term.
Watershed Plan
The Verde River Cooperative Invasive Plant Management Plan (CIPMP) was completed in 2011. The CIPMP was the result of a collaborative multi-stakeholder public/private planning process to develop a strategic approach for controlling invasive non-native plants within the riparian corridors on a watershed scale.
Description of Work to be Accomplished
Current projects are focused on control of the four priority woody invasive plant species of concern and secondary weed treatment. Pre-mapping and annual monitoring of treatment sites also occurs. Treatment areas are prioritized annually in collaboration with state and federal agencies concurrently doing invasive plant control work on public lands. Treatment areas are contiguous across jurisdictional boundaries, with work starting at headwaters and moving down drainages. These efforts are supported year-round by a 19-member Steering Committee, four subcommittees, and three staff members.
FVRG/VWRC contracts with locally-based Conservation Corps crews (Coconino Rural Environment Corps (CREC) and veterans (The Vetraplex) crews for invasive plant control work and biomass removal/reduction, providing training/skills development, and creating jobs while fostering the next generation of conservationists. Additionally, the Yavapai County Community Restitution program provides a significant labor force to assist the contract crews with biomass handling and removal.
Project Timeline
VWRC is currently implementing goals outlined in the five-year Verde River Cooperative Invasive Plant Management Plan. VWRC is in its second year of implementation and anticipates completion within the next 3-4 years.
Sources of Funding
Arizona State Forestry
Arizona Game & Fish Department
Coconino National Forest
Prescott National Forest
US Fish & Wildlife Service, Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program
Yavapai County Resource Advisory Committee
Walton Family Foundation
National Park Service
In-kind contributions
Tonto National Forest
Individual private donors
Notable Accomplishments
A 19 member multi-stakeholder Steering Committee and four Subcommittees are actively implementing the Verde River Cooperative Invasive Plant Management Plan.
To date, over 8,000 streamside miles have been inventoried and mapped for invasive plants and over 5,000 acres have been treated along the Verde River and its tributaries.
Over the past two years, VWRC has provided job skill training and seasonal employment to sixteen local Veterans and 24 conservation corps members.
Verde Natural Resource Conservation District Education Center, a VWRC partner, has taught over 17,000 school-aged children about watershed conservation during the past three years.
Challenges
Much of the watershed is managed by public land management agencies. The lower third of the watershed is in the Wild and Scenic area which is difficult to access, making crew logistics and transport difficult. Parts of the project area are privately owned, creating a mosaic of many, small, privately owned properties in some areas. While many private landowners are interested in undertaking restoration activities on their land, funding can be limited, and extensive time and resources are required for private landowner outreach. Obtaining long-term sustainable funding to work on private lands and to maintain work that has been accomplished remains an ongoing challenge.
Participants
Community Counts-AmeriCorps
Arizona Game & Fish Department
Arizona State Forestry
Arizona State Parks
City of Cottonwood
Coconino National Forest
Coconino Rural Environment Corps (CREC)
Gila Watershed Partnership
National Park Service
Nina Pulliam Charitable Trust
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Prescott National Forest
Salt River Project
Tonto National Forest
Southwest Conservation Corps
RiversEdge West (formerly Tamarisk Coalition)
The Nature Conservancy
The Vetraplex
The Wildlife Habitat Council
Town of Camp Verde
Town of Clarkdale
US Fish & Wildlife Service
Verde Natural Resource Conservation District
Verde Valley Land Preservation
Walton Family Foundation
Yavapai-Apache Nation
Yavapai County
Oak Creek Watershed Council
Verde River Basin Partnership
USDA Forest Service-Region 3
Website, Newsletters & Contact Info
More information about Verde River Watershed Coalition can be found on their website. If you would like to learn more about Friends of the Verde River Greenway, check out their site as well!
"The Otter" newsletter is a great way to stay updated on VWRC's activities. The newsletter introduces you to their dedicated staff, crews, and volunteers; reports VWRC's efforts and successes; spotlights important native species; presents community involvement and successes related to the watershed; and much more!
For additional information, please contact one of the following representatives:
Anna Schrenk: Program Coordinator, Verde Watershed Restoration Coalition
