The Verde River that pours through the Verde Valley and gives it its name has been an essential feature of the land we live in since long before white settlers were here.
On Saturday, Aug. 24, the Camp Verde Community Library held an event celebrating that river, as well as heralding the opening of the new Smithsonian Water|Ways exhibit, which will be hosted at the library through early October.
On the second floor of the library, large displays show off the way water affects and is affected by human history, culture, industry, recreation, and more. Interactive computer programs let visitors learn more about waterways in Arizona and throughout the world, and a WaterSim game lets people try to take on the challenge of how to make the Verde Valley sustainable economically and ecologically over the next few decades as populations and industry increase with the same amount of water.
“It’s special, and we need to continue to keep the Verde River running,” Yavapai Apache Nation Chairwoman Jane Russell-Winiecki said, speaking at the opening of the exhibit. “We are made of elements of the earth — the soil, the water, the plants, the air, the four-legged, and what- ever comes from that.”
Winiecki regaled those assembled with the story of the Yavapai Apache being forced away from their homeland — “Shii Kee Ya” in Apache — and returning, and the importance of the river to all who live in the area.
“If you don’t live in your homeland we call you wanderers,” Winiecki said. “We want the Verde River to continue to run with wet water, which means life.”
“How we use water will affect our children and grandchildren,” CVCL Director Kathy Hellman said, introducing the WaterSim portion of the exhibit. She also introduced a plan to collect stories from locals both with the Yavapai Apache Nation and beyond about the water resources in the area, for preservation. “Collecting the stories of the Verde River watershed could be critical in protection of the river in the future.”
One way that river conservation efforts have only increased is through the recent designation by the National Audubon Society of a section of the Verde River by Camp Verde as an “Important Birding Area,” due to the prevalence of two rare birds, the Yellow Billed Cuckoo and the Southwest Willow Flycatcher, as well as numerous other species.
Birdwatching enthusiasts worked with the town of Camp Verde to achieve this designation, and hope that it will bring in ornithologists from all over the country, and make spending on conservation in the area a worthwhile venture.
“Money always trumps nature, but it brings attention,” Rich Armstrong, a local birdwatcher, said. “If someone wants to know where to bird, this tells them.”
“It gives a focus for federal money when they’re going for conservation,” Chip Engelmann, a fellow birdwatcher who led the IBA efforts along with the town of Camp Verde said.
“Without the continuous flow of the Verde River there would be no habitat for these birds, so we’re really blessed,” Brent Blitz of the Northern Arizona Audubon Society said.
