The Verde River ( Yavapai: Haka'he:la) is a major tributary of the Salt River in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is about long and carries a mean flow of at its

mouth In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...

. It is one of the largest perennial streams in Arizona.

Description

The river begins below the dam at Sullivan Lake, fed by Big Chino Wash and Williamson Valley Wash in Yavapai County. The Verde flows freely for through private, state, tribal and United States Forest Service lands, specifically the Tonto National Forest, before encountering the first of two dams that make Horseshoe Lake and Bartlett Lake. The cities of

Camp Verde Camp Verde ( yuf-x-yav, ʼMatthi:wa; Western Apache: Gambúdih) is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town is 10,873. The town hosts an annual corn festival in July, sponsored and orga ...

, Clarkdale and Cottonwood are the main population centers along the river. The Verde River and the Salt River confluence on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. The Salt River flows into the

Gila River The Gila River (; O'odham ima Keli Akimel or simply Akimel, Quechan: Haa Siʼil, Maricopa language: Xiil) is a tributary of the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona in the United States. The river drains an arid watershed of n ...

west of Phoenix. In 1984, the United States Congress designated of the Verde River as Wild and Scenic through the National Wild and Scenic River program. The Scenic portion begins at Beasley Flats and extends downstream about to the northern boundary of the Mazatzal Wilderness. The Wild portion extends from there to the mouth of Red Creek, about further downstream. In 1986, a stretch of the river was identified by the state of Arizona as a critical natural resource. This reach of the Verde River and its associated riparian zone, between the town of Clarkdale (near Tuzigoot National Monument) and the Bridgeport State Route 89A Bridge, became part of the Arizona State Parks system. The park, called the Verde River Greenway State Natural Area, encompasses .

Dead Horse Ranch State Park Dead Horse Ranch State Park is a state park of Arizona, United States, on the Verde River in an area known as the Verde River Greenway. Located at approximately elevation, Dead Horse Ranch State Park covers of land with of hiking trails, 150 c ...

, near Cottonwood, is adjacent to the Greenway. At

Drake, Arizona Drake was an unincorporated community on the Verde River in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States, and a station on the BNSF Railway's Phoenix Subdivision. Drake is also the junction and western terminus of the Verde Canyon Railroad. Drake is ...

its canyon is termed "Hell Canyon", and it is spanned by the

Hell Canyon Bridge In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells ...

, a road bridge built in 1923, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Flora and fauna

Plants found in riparian zones along the river include

ailanthus ''Ailanthus'' (; derived from ''ailanto,'' an Ambonese word probably meaning "tree of the gods" or "tree of heaven") is a genus of trees belonging to the family Simaroubaceae, in the order Sapindales (formerly Rutales or Geraniales). The genus ...

, Arizona alder, sycamore, and walnut trees; a variety of willows; reeds, cattails, box elder, and

saltcedar The genus ''Tamarix'' (tamarisk, salt cedar, taray) is composed of about 50–60 species of flowering plants in the family Tamaricaceae, native to drier areas of Eurasia and Africa. The generic name originated in Latin and may refer to the Tam ...

, among others.Benke and Cushing, p. 537 Aquatic vertebrates along the Verde River include North American beaver,

belted kingfisher The belted kingfisher (''Megaceryle alcyon'') is a large, conspicuous water kingfisher, native to North America. All kingfishers were formerly placed in one family, Alcedinidae, but recent research suggests that this should be divided into three ...

great blue heron The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos ...

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...

Chiricahua leopard frog The Chiricahua leopard frog (''Lithobates chiricahuensis'' syn. ''Rana chiricahuensis'') is a species of frog in the family Ranidae, the true frogs. Distribution and habitat It is native to Mexico and the United States (Arizona and New Mexico) ...

s, Sonoran mud turtles, and others. Among the 27 species of fish found in the river are

carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...

, flathead catfish,

roundtail chub The roundtail chub (''Gila robusta'') is a cyprinid fish in the genus '' Gila'', of southwestern North America. It is native to the Colorado River drainage basin, including the Gila River and other tributaries, and in several other rivers. It i ...

Gila chub The Gila chub (''Gila intermedia'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found in Mexico and the United States. The Gila chub is closely related to the roundtail chub.Rinne, J.N. 1969. ''Cyprinid fishes of the genus G ...

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

desert sucker The desert sucker or Gila Mountain sucker (''Catostomus clarkii''), is a freshwater species of ray-finned fish in the sucker family, endemic to the Great Basin and the Colorado River Basin in the United States. It inhabits rapids and fast-flowi ...

mosquitofish The western Mosquitofish (''Gambusia affinis'') is a North American freshwater fish, also known commonly, if ambiguously, as simply Mosquitofish or by its generic name, ''Gambusia'', or by the common name gambezi. Its sister species, the easte ...

, red shiner, and

Sonora sucker The Sonora Sucker (Gila Sucker), ''Catostomus insignis'', is a medium-sized catostomid The Catostomidae are the suckers of the order Cypriniformes, with about 78 species in this family of freshwater fishes. The Catostomidae are almost exclu ...

. Beaver were trapped "with considerable success" on the Verde River by fur trappers led by Ewing Young, and including Kit Carson, dating to 1829. Edgar Alexander Mearns wrote in his 1907 naturalist survey ''Mammals of the Mexican Boundary of the United States'' that beaver were present on nearly all streams of the Colorado Basin. Re-introductions of beaver in recent times have transformed even small desert streams into robust riparian habitat, increasing species abundance and diversity.

Recreation

Floating the Verde River in rafts and

kayak A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' (). The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...

s is a popular pastime as it runs through scenic valleys and the Mazatzal Wilderness. The facilities described below are maintained by the Tonto National Forest authority. Kayak rentals, shuttles, boating gear and services are available in Clarkdale, Cottonwood and Camp Verde. Several commercial outfitters offer guided trips on the Verde River. Popular stretches for commercial boating include the Verde River @ Clarkdale, beginning at the Lower TAPCO River Access Point (RAP) and floating to the Tuzigoot RAP in Clarkdale; Skidmore RAP to Black Canyon RAP or Bignotti RAP on the Prescott National Forest between Cottonwood and Camp Verde; and White Bridge RAP to Clear Creek RAP or Beasley Flat RAP on the Prescott National Forest below Camp Verde.

Sport fishing

The Verde River above Camp Verde has about of fishable waters at an average elevation of above sea level. The nearest town with fuel, restaurants, lodging, groceries, and fishing tackle is Cottonwood. Fish species frequenting this stretch of the river include largemouth bass,

redeye bass The Redeye bass, Redeye, or Coosa Bass (''Micropterus coosae'') is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) native to the Coosa River system of Georgia, Alabama. The waters it is normally found in are cool streams and r ...

, sunfish,

channel catfish The channel catfish (''Ictalurus punctatus'') is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States, the ...

, flathead catfish, yellow perch, chub, carp, and, in winter,

rainbow trout The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...

Crayfish Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the clade Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. In some locations, they are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, rock lobsters, mu ...

and bullfrogs are also found.''Arizona Fishin' Holes'', pp. 12–17 From Camp Verde to Horseshoe Lake, about of fishable waters are at an average elevation of . The nearest town with fuel and other supplies and amenities is Camp Verde. Species along this stretch include largemouth and smallmouth bass, sunfish, channel and flathead catfish, carp, crayfish, and bullfrogs.''Arizona Fishin' Holes'', pp. 30–35 The same species that are found between Camp Verde and Horseshoe Lake are also present along a stretch of the river from Horseshoe Lake to Bartlett Lake. The elevation along this stretch averages above sea level. The nearest town with fuel and supplies is Carefree. Below Bartlett Lake, the elevation averages over the next . Species here include largemouth bass, sunfish, channel and flathead catfish, tilapia, carp, crayfish, and bullfrogs. The nearest town with fuel and supplies is Fountain Hills.

References

Works cited

* ''Arizona Fishin' Holes: The Arizona Game and Fish Department's Guide to Public Fishing Waters and Facilities in Arizona'' (2010). Phoenix: Arizona Game and Fish Department. * Benke, Arthur C., ed., and Cushing, Colbert E., ed.; Blinn, Dean W. and Poff, N. Leroy (2005). "Chapter 11: Colorado River Basin" in ''Rivers of North America''. Burlington, Massachusetts: Elsevier Academic Press. . .

External links

Verde Wild and Scenic River
– Coconino National Forest
Viva La Verde
– Viva La Verde Documentary Film

Arizona Boating Locations Facilities Map

Arizona Fishing Locations Map

Synthesis of Upper Verde River Research and Monitoring 1993–2008
United States Forest Service
Video of Upper Verde River

Wildlife at Work: Beaver, Otter and Native Fish on the Verde River by Seth Ring

– Town of Clarkdale's – Verde River @ Clarkdale {{authority control Rivers of Arizona Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States Rivers of Coconino County, Arizona Rivers of Maricopa County, Arizona Rivers of Yavapai County, Arizona Coconino National Forest Prescott National Forest Tonto National Forest Tributaries of the Salt River (Arizona)