FOSSIL CREEK, Coconino National Forest, Ariz. — Two years after utility
Arizona Public Service Co. shut down operations of a hydroelectric
power plant here, the creek has resumed to its full flow, with the
waterway's trademark travertine building new formations, and native
fish are thriving. But the sight of colorful kayaks along the upper
river, and trash strewn across a campsite farther downstream signify a
potential new threat to the restored stream: increasing recreational
pressures.
River advocates and the state's congressional representatives are
pushing for legislation that would designate Fossil Creek as a "wild
and scenic" river, which would protect the stream's flows and prevent
it from being dammed in the future. River advocates are also hoping the
designation will bring more funding for monitoring recreational use of
the area. S. 86, introduced by Arizona Republican Sens. John McCain and
Jon Kyl, awaits review by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
According to the legislation, Fossil Creek merits federal protection
because of its "free-flowing condition" and "remarkable geology,
ecology, fish, wildlife, cultural and scenic values."
For almost 100 years, APS diverted the creek's water from
just below the headwater springs into a 14-mile flume, leaving a
trickle in the stream during the summer. Now, with flows of 43 cubic
feet per second, the creek has become an important native fishery in a
state where 90 percent of waterways have been degraded.
"This doubles the native fish habitat in Arizona," said Jason
Williams with the Arizona Wilderness Coalition, looking out over the
Fossil Creek Wilderness, where springs emanate from red wall limestone
to form the creek's headwaters.
Fossil Creek is also a significant contributor to central
Arizona's water supply: The creek's water flows into the Verde River,
where it is tapped by the Salt River Project, responsible for slaking
the thirst of Phoenix and surrounding areas. The creek is also
important to the Yavapai-Apache Nation, which considers it a sacred
place.
The spring-fed water is laden with calcium carbonate, which
leaves calcium deposits on rocks, building travertine dams. Those
natural barriers form stepped pools and waterfalls — prime habitat for
native fish. With the return of full flows, more travertine is building
up in the creek, and the fish are thriving, along with native riparian
vegetation such as cottonwoods and willows. The creek, which was given
its name by early settlers who thought the formations looked like
fossils, is also beginning to attract raptors and other wildlife.
"Of the millions of river miles throughout this country
impacted by hydropower projects, the 14 that comprise Fossil Creek are
among the most unique," said Andrew Fahlund, hydropower policy director
for American Rivers.
A decade in the making
The Childs-Irving Project, named for its two power plants at
either end of Fossil Creek, was constructed in the early 1900s to
supply power to the mining industry in nearby Jerome and to burgeoning
Phoenix to the south, which at the time was home to about 40,000
people. The project was granted a 50-year license in 1951, before
environmental laws like the Endangered Species Act were passed. Arizona
Public Service's application for relicensing required an environmental
assessment, which prompted American Rivers, the Center for Biological
Diversity and other groups to push the utility and the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission to consider decommissioning the facility and
returning the water to the creek.
An initial study issued by Arizona Public Service in the late
1990s concluded that low flows were better for native fish. But a
subsequent and more comprehensive study by biologists at Northern
Arizona University found that restoring flows to the creek would
greatly benefit native fish, as well as other aquatic and terrestrial
flora and flauna.
Eventually, the utility agreed to decommission the project
after concluding that it was no longer a significant supplier of power
to central Arizona.
In issuing their decision to approve the decommissioning plan
in 2004, FERC's three commissioners said the environmental benefits of
tearing down the facility outweighed the economic benefits of keeping
the electrons flowing.
In the ensuing months, the Bureau of Reclamation, NAU, Arizona
Fish and Game and other entities cleared bass, sunfish and other
non-native fish from the stream using special poisons. The dam was then
breached, and diversion gates closed, restoring flows of 43 cubic feet
per second to the creek, which had been a trickle for almost a century
of power plant operations. Officials then helicoptered in buckets of
native fish, including roundtail chub. A fish barrier above the creek's
confluence with the Verde River will help prevent non-natives from
re-entering the creek.
The return of full flows to Fossil Creek will also benefit a
host of threatened and endangered species, including the bald eagle,
Mexican spotted owl, Chiricahua leopard frog, southwestern willow
flycatcher, Yuma clapper rail, razorback sucker and Arizona agave,
according to environmental groups.
"This is a model for restoring degraded streams and watersheds," Williams said.
Restoration also brings some surprises. NAU's research team,
which is monitoring the changes to the creek, has found that crawfish,
a non-native species, has colonized the waterway. And with the return
of higher flows, trees that had grown in the river bed in the past few
decades are now inundated.
"Restoration takes a long time, and you may see some consequences that are hard for the public to swallow," Williams said.
Meanwhile, Arizona Public Service continues to dismantle the
power plants, flumes and other infrastructure — an effort the utility
expects to complete by the end of 2009. In all, the decommissioning of
the project is expected to cost about $13 million, according to the
Arizona utility.
Loved to death?
While part of Fossil Creek runs through designated wilderness,
offering it full protection, the rest of it is open to various uses,
including camping, hiking, wildlife watching and kayaking. The creek is
currently closed to fishing to allow the reintroduced native fish time
to recover, however.
With 4 million people within a two hours' drive, the creek has
become a popular place in recent years, and some river advocates and
agency officials are concerned that unchecked recreation could harm the
newly restored — and still recovering — waterway.
"A portion of Fossil Creek is not in wilderness and is very
accessible, and those portions tend to get loved to death," said Connie
Birkland of the Coconino National Forest, which has jurisdiction over
much of Fossil Creek. The forest has just one patrol officer who makes
it to the creek once or twice a week, she said.
"It's definitely a funding issue," Birkland said. "We don't have enough presence there to manage the area adequately."
The forest had undertaken a recreation management plan in 2004, but that effort was dropped due to lack of funding, she said.
Williams said that while kayaking on Fossil Creek is "extremely
fun," it damages the travertine dams, which are just beginning to build
back up again with the restored flows. "All these travertine dams get
knocked down," he said. "We can't have one use devastate the fishery."
Trash is also a problem along the creek. Standing near a pile
of beer bottles, yogurt containers, candy wrappers and other camping
detritus, Williams said, "There's absolutely no enforcement."
Williams is hoping that the wild and scenic designation will
help increase awareness about the significance of Fossil Creek and
attract more funding to ensure its protection.
The legislation would authorize funds for the Forest Service
to hire a river ranger to monitor activity along the creek, but
Coconino National Forest's Connie Birkland said she would be surprised
if the designation funneled more money to the forest.
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