Grant money is helping groups that work to protect the Verde River keep working on removing invasive species from it.
The grants total nearly $125,000 to the Friends of the Verde River Greenway, a group working to help keep the river healthy.
The group works with the Verde Watershed Restoration Coalition as well as several other partners to help get rid of plants that have a negative impact on the river.
A large chunk of the money came from the Yavapai County Resource Advisory Committee, which recently approved grants for work all around the county.
The rest of the money came through an effort to help fund the Arizona Conservation Corps in a mission to get young people involved in caring and working for the surrounding environment.
The work to remove invasive species continues all along the Verde River, including spots like Dead Horse Ranch State Park and all along the Verde River Greenway.
The effort is in cooperation with many private landowners along the river and the U.S. Forest Service.
To read the full story, see the Wednesday, July 16, edition of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.