Ecology and Importance of Verde Headwater Springs

The Verde River Basin

The Verde River and its watershed are at the heart of Arizona, encompassing an area that stretches from near the southwest reach of the Grand Canyon to the Verde River’s confluence with the Salt River in Scottsdale. The Verde River is 192 miles long, and is a critical feature on the landscape for its lush riparian habitat, its role as an ecological migration corridor, and as one of the last of Arizona’s free-flowing rivers. Forty miles of the Verde River have been given a federal designation of Wild and Scenic River. The Verde River’s waters are critical to life in central Arizona, but the source of these waters is often overlooked.

Verde River Hydrology & the Role of Springs

Flow in the Verde River comes from several sources: runoff from rainstorms, runoff from snowmelt, and flow from springs. Springs are emergence areas where groundwater comes into contact with the surface of the Earth. In the Verde River, the portion of the river flow derived from springs is referred to as baseflow. The baseflow is the portion of the river flow not dependent on recent weather patterns, such as a rainstorm this week or snowpack accumulated during the prior winter. In other words, springs are responsible for the perenniality, or relative permanence of the river flow in the Verde.

Plants and Animals

Springs and spring-dependent riparian habitats support a disproportionate amount of biodiversity in the US southwest. The following species are a small selection of the many species that are dependent on the habitat provided by the Verde River.

Click on the images below for more information about Verde watershed springs-dependent species.

Importance to Communities

Farming and Ranching: Verde Watershed springs help feed Arizona

Agriculture is widely recognized by Verde Valley residents as being an important component to the history, character, culture, and environment of the region. The first evidence of agriculture in the Verde River Basin has been attributed to the Hohokam circa 700 A.D., followed by the Southern Sinagua from circa 1150 to 1425 A.D (Bausch et al. 2019). In the mid-19th century, settlers of primarily European descent began farming and ranching in the Verde Valley. These settlers began diverting water from the Verde River and its tributaries to their farms and pastures beginning in 1865 (Bausch et al. 2019). Today, the Valley’s growers maintain mostly small agricultural operations (44% of parcels are less than 10 acres; the average farm size is 967 acres) that produce alfalfa, barley, beef, corn, lamb, pecans, vegetables, wine grapes, and more (Bausch et al. 2019).  While agriculture is no longer a primary driver of the Verde Valley’s economy, it maintains a characteristic of the quality of life in the region through food production, maintaining the region’s rural character, preservation of open space and wildlife habitat, and tourism. Wineries, festivals, farmer’s markets, farm stays, farm-to-table restaurants, and roadside stands are integral to both resident and tourist economies and bolster regional character.

Recreational opportunities for locals and visitors

Thanks to perennial baseflow from springs, the Verde River and its major tributaries such as Oak Creek, Beaver Creek and West Clear Creek are lined with lush, welcoming riparian habitat. Visitors to these beautiful flowing streams enjoy hiking, swimming, birdwatching, fishing, canoeing and kayaking.

Threats to Verde Watershed Springs

Groundwater Pumping

The Verde River Basin has seen extensive growth of groundwater use since Euro-American settlement, and this use has accelerated substantially since 1980 (Haney et al. 2008). Groundwater pumping provides local communities with critical water resources, but the increased use has led to groundwater depletion, a term describing long-term water-level declines caused by sustained extraction. Water table declines can cause springs to move, decrease in flow, and even stop flowing completely. The Verde River has already been altered by groundwater pumping, with perennial flow beginning five miles downstream from its historical source at Del Rio Springs (Haney et al. 2008). Streamflow gauges have reported declining base flow since about 1994 (Haney et al. 2008). With the projected increase in human population comes the associated demand for water. Without action, groundwater pumping will continue to decrease streamflow at the expense of springs, riparian ecosystems, and the character and longevity of the Verde River.

Non-Native Aquatic Species

Nonnative aquatic species can significantly disrupt aquatic ecosystems. They are often easily transported by humans and reproduce quickly. In some cases, they consume native organisms. Crayfish, nonnative sport fish, and New Zealand mud snails are some of the nonnative organisms of concern in the Verde watershed.

Recreational Overuse

Ecological conditions can be affected when many people visit the same beautiful place in a short time span. Aquatic ecosystems like springs and streams are especially vulnerable. Soils and vegetation can be damaged by trampling, water quality can be affected by feces from human visitors and their pets, and wildlife can become sick from eating trash. When visitors take care to tread lightly in the natural areas they visit, many of these problems can be reduced or avoided. Click here to learn more about using Leave No Trace principles for protecting outdoor spaces.

To learn about springs ecology and get involved, visit our outreach page, here.

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