Discovery and Stewardship:
Source Springs of the Verde River Basin
An Ecology & Education Effort
Funded by the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust
In 2023 and 2025, SSI partnered with Friends of the Verde River to map and inventory the headwater springs that provide critical baseflow to the Verde River and its tributaries. SSI is dedicated to protecting Arizona’s springs, including spring fed streams, springs-dependent wildlife, and the aquifers and cultures they support. Verde River Basin springs are critically important, as they support over half of the region’s native fish species, dozens of rare or endemic invertebrates, and many species of amphibians, reptiles, migrating songbirds, large ungulates and predators, and many other mammals such as river otters and Arizona’s state mammal, the ringtail. Click here to learn more about the ecology and importance of Verde Headwater springs.
Through this project, we found new information that will influence current understanding of the critical role springs play in the Verde River Basin landscape. We also discovered previously undocumented Verde River Basin springs and springs-dependent species.
You can download our final report from 2023 here, along with Appendices using the links below. Once finalized, we will make our findings from 2025 available here as well.
Final Report - PDF
