Full flows will enhance Fossil Creek's unique riparian ecosystem

One chapter in Arizona history ended and another began when Arizona Public Service Company discontinued operations at two historic hydroelectric power plants and allowed natural water flows to resume their journey down 14 miles of Fossil Creek.

In a special ceremony at the Irving Power Plant on June 18, APS President and CEO Jack Davis, accompanied by representatives of several other conservation partner organizations, flipped an oversized light switch that signaled closure of the diversion flume at an upstream dam. The closure allowed nearly 29 million gallons of water a day from Fossil Springs to return to their historic channel through one of Arizona's most unique riparian areas.

"APS has given the people of Arizona an incredibly valuable gift with the restoration of natural flows to Fossil Creek," says Duane Shroufe, director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department. "Their decision will restore an important piece of Arizona's natural history."

The Irving and Childs power plants were Arizona's first commercial hydroelectric power plants. Located in a remote area between Strawberry and Camp Verde, they were considered engineering marvels when constructed almost 100 years ago. The facilities played an important role in central Arizona's growth, powering the booming mining operations of Jerome and the Bradshaw Mountains, and later energizing the growing communities of Prescott and Phoenix.

APS President and CEO Jack Davis, flanked by conservation partners, flips the switch signaling closure of the diversion flume

In 1999, APS, in concert with the Yavapai-Apache Nation, American Rivers, Arizona Riparian Council, Center for Biological Diversity, The Nature Conservancy, and Northern Arizona Audubon Society, reached an agreement that would lead to the decommissioning of the plants and restoration of full flows to Fossil Creek. Although the facilities weren't producing major amounts of electricity, they were still viable and profitable. APS decided the environmental and public value of restoring Fossil Creek outweighed the value of continued operation of the plants. The cost to the company of decommissioning is estimated at about $13 million when the process is finally completed.

Helicopters transported native fish upstream for reintroduction last fall after nonnative species were removed

Several years of planning and preparation were required before the decommissioning could occur. The Arizona Game and Fish Department worked hand-in-hand with several other government agencies, including the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service on a native fish restoration project in advance of the return of full water flows. Last fall state and federal biologists and volunteers salvaged hundreds of native fish--speckled dace, roundtail chubs, Sonora suckers and desert suckers--from the creek and held them in special temporary tanks at the Irving site while nonnative fish species were removed. The native fish were then "long-lined" by helicopter in 55-gallon drums to various spots upstream and rereleased into the creek.

"Those salvaged native fish are some of the biological hopes for tomorrow," says Dave Weedman, aquatic habitat specialist for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. "We've already seen lots of little fish in the pools and backwaters, indicating they are spawning."

To give the fish a chance to recover, the Game and Fish Department has closed Fossil Creek to fishing until January 2007. The department believes the area could one day become a blue ribbon fishery for roundtail chub.

State and federal wildlife biologists reintroduce native fish to Fossil Creek

Crews coordinated by the Bureau of Reclamation also built a barrier upstream from where Fossil Creek empties into the Verde River to keep nonnative fish in the Verde River from traveling upstream and negatively impacting the native fish.

Prior to having 95-percent of its flows diverted when the Childs power plant was built in 1908, Fossil Creek supported a distinctive aquatic ecosystem. The highly mineralized water flowing from Fossil Springs resulted in the formation of large travertine dams that created large pools and cascading waterfalls extending from the springs to the Verde River.

"Now that year-round 43 cfs flows have been restored, those dams, pools and waterfalls are expected to rebuild naturally over time, thereby restoring a distinctive riparian ecosystem that we expect to become a model native fish habitat in Arizona," says Weedman.

Much work remains to be done. APS will need several years to remove many of the existing structures, including buildings, flumes and part of the dam. Two of the structures at the Childs site will remain as historic elements. Long-term management plans are also being developed for wildlife management and human recreational management.

Many other groups in addition to the ones previously mentioned were involved in the Fossil Creek project, including angling groups such as the Northern Arizona Flycasters and Red Rock Flycasters, environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, educational and research institutions including Northern Arizona University, and historical preservation groups.

"The Fossil Creek project is a model of cooperation among diverse groups and interests," says Shroufe. "Even though the individual partners disagreed philosophically on certain things, over time those disagreements were worked out to accomplish the ultimate goal. These are the kinds of projects that will bring partners together to enhance the natural resources of the state of Arizona."