User:Michellearizona/Arizona Rivers

Arizona Rivers Arizona Rivers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization dedicated to protecting the state’s imperiled rivers and riparian habitats in support of diverse native fish communities, wildlife, plants, and human health and enjoyment. The organization was founded in 2009 by Michelle Harrington and is based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Arizona Rivers' work focuses on these key areas:

Education - they work cooperatively to develop and implement a Native Fish Tank Program for participant elementary school classrooms. The program introduces native fish and the knowledge of their river ecosystems into the lives of school children. They also be work to advance public awareness of the importance of healthy river systems through outreach, presentations, and educational materials.

Advocacy - Arizona Rivers conducts campaigns focused on the specific rivers in Arizona that are most threatened and/or offer the best chances for restoration and protection. They are currently working to protect the flows in the Verde River from large-scale upstream groundwater pumping and seek workable solutions to dewatering of the river during irrigation cycles. They champion stronger management measures at Fossil Creek to better protect the extraordinary values for which it was congressionally designated as a Wild and Scenic River.

Wild and Scenic - Arizona Rivers hopes to significantly increase the river miles designated as Wild and Scenic in Arizona by achieving 10 new designations in the next 10 years. Currently, only two streams in the state have this federal designation—a 40.5-mile section of the lower Verde River and the 16.8-mile Fossil Creek, a tributary of the Verde. Arizona Rivers is actively participating on the steering committee for a Wild and Scenic designation for more than 40 miles of the upper Verde River. In the coming years they will be identifying and initiating campaigns for other eligible streams in the state.

Restoration - Although primarily an education and advocacy organization, Arizona Rivers strives to engage the public in hands-on restoration activities by engaging active volunteers in opportunities to get their feet wet and their hands dirty doing something good for our rivers. They also connect volunteers with the activities of other like-minded groups and agencies so they can all work together to improve, restore and maintain Arizona’s rivers.