Now What Happens To Fossil Creek?
Nature abhors a vacuum; note that the Center For Biological Diversity is already staking a claim in this issue. Staking a claim while APS and several Government entities are scratching their heads. Combine this with the absolute irresponsibility demonstrated by the average person when it comes to utilizing the environment for recreation – this has disaster written all over it.
From this story on AzCentral.com:
State trying to protect the lush Fossil Creek
Here are some snippets:
Like any river or lake in the desert, Fossil Creek has become a magnet for visitors seeking relief from the hot city. Its restoration has government and non-profit groups scrambling to protect one of the state’s most unusual waterways and give it a rare second chance.
“Fossil Creek remains one of our major concerns,” said Michelle Harrington, rivers-program director for the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity. “We think there needs to be a plan in place to handle the visitors.”
No such plan exists now, in part because the agency responsible, the U.S. Forest Service, previously couldn’t afford to do the work. Except for a temporary closure this year while parts of the old power plant were removed, the creek and its surroundings have been open to the public with few enforceable limits.
No one meant to let the restoration of Fossil Creek get this far without a plan, but that’s what happened after Arizona Public Service decided three years ago to shut two hydropower plants that had diverted flow from the creek since the early 1900s.
The U.S. Forest Service, already stretched thin, ran out of money to complete the environmental studies needed to write a management plan, and it lacked money to patrol the area or install toilets or campsites. In the meantime, lured by running water, stunning scenery and easy drives from Phoenix and Flagstaff, people discovered Fossil Creek.
Although visitor counts aren’t available, the effects of heavy use are obvious. Stream banks have eroded. Makeshift campsites have flattened vegetation. The area is strewn with litter after busy weekends. Without public restrooms, visitors improvise, leaving waste and tissue products along the creek, threatening water quality.
So – try and convince me that this is going to have a good ending…
