The Tuzigoot Fire started on April 2, 2023, and burned approximately 106 acres around Tuzigoot National Monument, mostly in the Tavasci Marsh area. The National Park Service has closed the marsh area since then, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but the marsh reopened to the public on Feb. 5.
“As we would expect when a natural disaster comes through, wildlife leave the area immediately if they can escape,” said Sara Eno, Natural Resource Program Manager at Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments. “Within a couple of weeks after the fire, we were beginning to see wildlife come back.”
After a brief closure, Tuzigoot National Monument reopened access to the 1,000-year-old 110-room hilltop pueblo on April 9.
The Tavasci Marsh is the largest freshwater marsh in Arizona that is unconnected to the Colorado River and separated from the Verde River around 10,000 years ago. The National Park Service acquired the marsh in 2005 as part of the Tuzigoot National Monument property to protect it from mining and development.
The marsh is approximately 96 acres in size and is home to over 245 species of birds within the riparian corridor, as well as a number of threatened and endangered species, including the Northern Mexican garter snake.
NPS staff have been tracking the return of wildlife and regrowth of vegetation using trail cameras and site visits. Eno noted that the marsh is very resilient.
“Overall, the fire seems to have been really good for that part of the ecosystem,” Eno said. She observed that the fire has given the cattails more room to grow and that they are seeing lots of wildlife trails going in and out of the marsh.
Park staff have been able to continue working in the area, including performing their annual trapping surveys for the Northern Mexican garter snake. Their numbers have been similar to pre-fire numbers.
Threatened and endangered bird species, including the yellow-billed cuckoo, have also been seen along the Verde River and the south end of the marsh trails.
A marsh overlook platform that the NPS had installed was burned during the fire, and park staff are planning to put up a gate to close the platform access portion of the trail so that the rest of the trail can reopen.
“We realize that people are missing their trails and we really appreciate the public’s use and appreciation of the park,” Eno said. “We get that these are public lands and people want to use their lands. It’s a difficult situation to be in when you want your constituents to be able to fully use it, but yet you also have to be cooperative in the ways of safely executing work going forward after a natural disaster. On behalf of the park, we’re so grateful for people’s enthusiasm for the park and patience through these last many months.”
