Spring 2011 Canyon Echo

Of the elements: WAteR

Explore, enjoy, and protect the planet

http://arizona.sierraclub.org Grand Canyon Chapter Spring 2011

Is There Something in the Water at the Arizona Legislature?By Sandy Bahr

Sandy is the Chapter Director.

Cartoon ContestShow your creative side by designing a cartoon about Arizona’s

environment! The contest winner will receive a bag full of Sierra Club goodies, plus the honor and recognition of your fellow members!

Visit http://canyonecho.wikispaces.com/Cartoon+Contest to enter.

Celebrate Earth Day on April 22!

ICO participants enjoying the water in the Huachuca Mountains. Photo by Judy Mutschler.

Since Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972, we have made real and signifi-cant progress in cleaning up our nation’s riv-ers, streams, springs, and lakes. The Clean Water Act has protected our nation’s waters and wetlands from unregulated pollution and destruction, but, today, some big indus-tries (mining, development interests, etc.) and numerous legislators are seeking to deny protection of many of our waters under the Clean Water Act.

There is a movement to narrowly inter-pret the Clean Water Act so it will only ap-ply to those rivers and streams that flow year-round and are considered navigable. Ironi-cally, because of our desert location, Arizona is one of the states most affected by this weaker and narrower interpretation of the Clean Water Act – more than 90% of Ari-zona’s waters could be unprotected because they are either intermittent or ephemeral.

“We think of our land and water and human resources not as static and sterile possessions but as lifegiving assets to be directed by wise provisions for future days.” –Franklin D. Roosevelt

In the Arizona Legislature, they are con-sidering a bill, SCR1015 jurisdiction over intrastate waters (Allen: Antenori, Biggs, et al.), that refers to the ballot a proposed constitutional amendment on water quality. It states that Arizona has the responsibility for waters in the state – that sounds okay. What it does not say, however, is that it is an overt effort to remove Clean Water Act pro-tections or that, without those protections, there is virtually nothing in place to protect the water quality of our rivers and streams. That means pollution from mines, sewage treatment plants, and industrial pollution, as well dredging and filling from development, would not be required to meet water quality standards.

The Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act have been pillars of the framework that provides this country, and our state, with a safe and

healthy environment. Continuing to make progress on cleaning up our waters to make them safe for drinking, fish and wildlife, and recreation depends upon the application and strong enforcement of the Clean Water Act. If SCR1015 makes it to the ballot, we will be working hard to defeat it. Its passage would put our waters at risk.

There are many other bad ideas floating around the Arizona Capitol relative to wa-ter (and other issues, too!), including several messages, known as “concurrent memori-

als,” that say we really do not want or care about clean water (of course, I paraphrase). But, seriously, water is essential for life and water is particularly precious in our arid land. We must stop this assault on clean water and let our elected officials know how important it is to us and to our future.

For more information on this and other legislation or to find out how you can help, please contact Sandy Bahr at 602-253-8633 or [email protected].

2 Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter

http://arizona.sierraclub.org

Canyon EchoSpring 2011 Vol. 47 No. 2

Canyon Echo © 2011. Canyon Echo (ISSN 0164-7024) is published quarterly for Sierra Club mem-bers by the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, 202 E. McDowell Rd., Ste. 277, Phoenix, AZ 85004. Phone: 602-253-8633, Fax: 602-258-6533. Printed at Valley Newspapers.

Front page banner designed by Erika Gronek.

Printed on 100% recycled paper with soy ink.

EDITOR: Tiffany Sprague602-253-9140, [email protected]

DEDICATED VOLUNTEERSOutings Editor: Jerry Nelson

602-279-4668, [email protected]

Mailing Organizers: Bill Gill, Jerry Nelson

Publications Committee: Priscilla Benbrook, Jon Findley, Kurt Florman,

Chris Gehlker, Tricia Gerrodette, Renée Guillory, Jerry Nelson,

Carole Piszczek-Sheffield, Mike Smith

Publications Chair: Keith Bagwell520-623-0269, [email protected]

Webmaster: Dawson [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Annual dues to the Sierra Club are $39 (including $1 for Canyon Echo). Subscription rate for non-members is $10. Send check payable to Sierra Club - Canyon Echo, 202 E. McDowell Rd., Ste. 277, Phoenix, AZ 85004.

ADVERTISING: Advertising is sold on a first-come, space-available basis. The editor reserves the right to re-fuse any advertisements, and inclusion of advertisements does not imply endorsement by the Sierra Club. All in-teractions between advertisers and consumers are solely the responsibilities of those parties.

SUBMISSIONS: Send electronic or hard copies to the editor (include a S.A.S.E. for return of hard copies). In-dicate copyright or Creative Commons preference. We are not responsible for lost or damaged items. Writer’s guidelines can be obtained by contacting the editor. All rights to publication of articles in this issue are reserved. The deadline is the first day of the month preceding the issue. Opinions expressed in Canyon Echo are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Sierra Club.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes and postage due to Sierra Club Member Services, c/o Canyon Echo, P.O. Box 421041, Palm Coast, FL 32142-6417. Periodicals postage paid at Phoenix, AZ.

Arizona Chapter Action DirectoryChapter Director Sandy Bahr 602-253-8633 [email protected] Chapter CoordinatorTiffany Sprague 602-253-9140 [email protected] Canyon Conservation Program CoordinatorAlicyn Gitlin 928-774-6514 [email protected] Conservation Program CoordinatorDan Millis 520-620-6401 [email protected] Sentinels Program CoordinatorSteve Pawlowski 602-254-9330 [email protected] Southwest Regional OfficeRob Smith 602-254-8362 [email protected]

CHAPTER OFFICES & COMMITTEE CHAIRSChairperson/Council: Jim Vaaler (xc) 602-553-8208 [email protected]: Ken Langton (xc) 520-749-3829 [email protected]: Elna Otter (xc) 520-212-9736 [email protected]/Political: David McCaleb (xc) 602-840-7655 [email protected]: Jenny Roberts (xc) 480-488-2256 [email protected]: Don Steuter (xc) 602-956-5057 [email protected] Chair: Bev Full 480-595-2306 [email protected] Chair: Jon Findley (xc) 480-756-2916 [email protected] (At-Large): Keith Bagwell (xc) 520-623-0269 [email protected]

Jim McCarthy (xc) 928-779-3748 [email protected]

Palo Verde: Blair McLaughlin Saguaro: Bev FullPlateau: Tom Martin Sedona/Verde Valley: Marlene RaynerRincon: Roy Emrick Yavapai: Tom Slaback

2011 Group Voting Representatives to Chapter Ex-Com:

(xc) 2011 Chapter Executive Committee (Ex-Com) members

Chapter AnnouncementsAPR 9–10 (SAT–SUN). Chapter Conservation (SAT) and Executive Committee (SUN) meetings. Club leaders meet to consider matters related to statewide conservation efforts, share experiences across groups, and coordinate strategy to align our Chapter mission and goals with that of national Sierra Club. The meetings will be located in Tucson. For more information, contact Don Steuter at 602-956-5057 or [email protected] or Jim Vaaler at 602-553-8208 or [email protected].

APR 11, MAY 2, JUN 13 (MON) 6:30 p.m. Political Committee meetings. Do you love Arizona but feel left out by the political direction the state is taking? Your voice for reason and recognition of the role of conservation can be even louder if you participate in our Political Committee! This is the most important time to get involved. For more information or to talk about ways you can help preserve our state, contact David McCaleb at 602-840-7655 or [email protected].

APR 26, MAY 24, JUN 28 (TUE) Energy Committee gatherings. Discussions, programs, and field trips will encompass various energy activities, including renewable energy and energy efficiency campaigns nationally and locally. Everyone is invited to participate, no matter how much or how little you know about energy issues. Specific time and location will be announced online or via email. To be added to our list or to get more information, please contact Jon Findley at 480-756-2916 or [email protected].

MAY 4 (WED) 5:30 p.m. Publications Committee meeting. Have an idea? Help plan future issues of the Canyon Echo! Contact Keith Bagwell at 520-623-0269 or [email protected] or Tiffany Sprague at 602-253-9140 or [email protected].

JUN 1 (WED) Copy deadline for Summer 2011 Canyon Echo. The theme is “Of the Elements: Fire.” Articles, art, photographs, poetry, essays, and brief epiphanies are welcome. Contact the editor before submitting at 602-253-9140 or [email protected] to discuss word count, photos to include, licensing, issue topics, and to request submission guidelines.

JUN 29 (WED) 1–5 p.m. (stop by anytime) Canyon Echo Mailing Party. Club volunteers save the Chapter hundreds of dollars every year by preparing Canyon Echo for mailing. Thank you! The job is easy to learn and takes only a few hours once every three months. We all have a great time. Any amount of time that you’re available is appreciated. Contact Jerry Nelson at 602-279-4668 or [email protected] or Bill Gill at [email protected] for location and other details.

Tucson

Prescott

Flagstaff

PALO VERDE

YAVAPAI

SEDONA/ VERDE VALLEY

Phoenix

PLATEAU

SAGUARO

RINCON

GRAND CANYONCHAPTER

mailto:[email protected]






Spring 2011 Canyon Echo 3


2 Chapter Announcements

4 Cast of Characters

5 Thank You!

6 Dwindling Water Supplies

7 Grand Canyon Natural Quiet

8 Water Law vs. Reality

9 San Pedro Water Sentinels

10 Harvesting Rainwater

11 Cactus Rescue

12 Group Happenings

14 Hikes and Outings

16 Service Outings

Grand Canyon Chapter – What’s Going On?

Earth Day Celebration!Saturday, April 23

2–5 p.m., 7–9:30 p.m.The Pink Spot (49 W. Thomas Rd., Phoenix)

Come on out to share your love of the earth! Mingle with several environmental organizations (Sierra Club included), share your stories, and enjoy fun for the whole family. From 7–9:30 p.m. there will be music and readings inside.

For information, contact David Chorlton at 602-253-5055 or [email protected].

White Mountain Apache Wilderness JourneysBe Part of the Story!

June 5–10, 2011 or June 19–24, 2011

The White Mountain Apache Tribe is offering a unique culture and wildlife tour that will take you on a 6-day/5-night journey into the heart of the Southwest. Join Apache guides on expeditions into the Tribe’s remote, lush forests for a chance to hear or see North America’s rarest wolf, the Mexican gray wolf, in the wild and learn about efforts to restore other imperiled wildlife such as Mexican spotted owls and Apache trout. Experience firsthand the Apache way of life through crafts, storytelling, and traditional meals and gain insight into centuries-old traditional ceremonies. Connect with wildlife through Apache culture and help save something wild.

These unique tours are guided by the White Mountain Apache Tribe’s wolf staff and organized by Naturalist Journeys, an Arizona-based travel and conservation-oriented tour operator. Cost of the tour is $1500.

For more information and to register, visit http://bit.ly/f8mw8X.

History and Sustainability: Stories of Progress, Hubris, Decline, and Resilience

April 12–16, 2011

The American Society for Environmental History’s next annual conference, hosted by Arizona State University, will include a plenary talk by William Cronon and a workshop sponsored by ASU’s School of Sustainability and the Decision Center for a Desert City, and a plenary discussion on immigration, borderlands, and social justice, as well as panels, film screenings, and exhibits examining the border fence’s impact on people and ecological communities. In addition, they will offer an outstanding set of field trips, including an overnight trip to Grand Canyon National Park, a birding trip, and half-day site visits to explore water development, urban planning, and other topics.

For more information and to register, visit http://shprs.clas.asu.edu/aseh_conference or contact Lisa Mighetto at [email protected].

Migration CelebrationSaturday, April 99 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Experience the wonder of springtime migration at this annual nature festival! Volunteers are needed to help showcase the world of bats, butterflies, and birds as visitors stroll along the nature trail. There will be live hawks and hummingbirds up-close, and children can make their very own wings.

Volunteers are needed for the crafts, food, activities, and numerous other assignments. This event is free with an outreach to families in south Phoenix and the Valley. Spanish speakers helpful, but not required. Morning (8 a.m. – 12 p.m.) or the afternoon (12–4pm) shifts available.

This event is at the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Center, 3131 S Central Avenue – just 2 miles south of downtown Phoenix!

For more information, visit http://riosalado.audubon.org or contact Janice Miano at 602-468-6470 x125 or [email protected].

Vermilion flycatcher. By David Chorlton.

Electronic Newsletter Available!

Help save resources and money by signing up for the electronic newsletter! Signing up is easy: just fill out the short form at http://ari-zona.sierraclub.org/echo/paperlessform/form.asp or send an email with your full name and membership ID (8-digit number located on your mailing label) to [email protected]. You will receive an email when the latest issue is available online.

http://arizona.sierraclub.org/echo/paperlessform/form.asp





Sarah KingOur Go-To Gal

We encourage you to both save and savor the planet, consistent with our mission “to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth….” And we thank you for help-ing the Grand Canyon Chapter work to fulfill this impor-tant mission.

In March, you may have received a funding request from the Grand Canyon Chapter. To those of you who have contributed, please accept our sincere gratitude. We appreci-ate your continued support of our work here in Arizona. To those of you who have not, please consider sending a contri-bution today.

These continue to be challeng-ing times for funding our conserva-tion work. Despite that, our mem-bers and supporters have been amaz-ingly generous. In addition to your contributions, we also have received important funding from several

foundations, including the Wilburforce Foundation, which is continuing support for our work to protect Grand Canyon and the public lands in the Greater Grand Canyon area, and Edwards Mother Earth Foundation, which again is support-ing our work to promote energy efficiency.

To help increase funding for important conservation work, Earth Friends Conservation Fund provides a challenge grant to help leverage more giving. Did you know that con-servation and the environment receive just 2% of charitable giving in our country? Your contribution helps us obtain ad-ditional funding and move that percentage up.

“Every morning I awake torn between a desire to save the world and an inclination to savor it.

This makes it hard to plan the day.” – E.B. White

You Make It HappenBy Sandy Bahr

Cast of Characters

In 2011, we hope to accomplish much. We can achieve final protection from uranium mining for nearly one million acres of public lands near Grand Canyon National Park, plus restore natural quiet in the park; protect the remaining old growth forests in the Kaibab National Forest; safeguard our sensitive border lands from ineffective and destructive infra-structure; and promote protections of Arizona’s rivers and

streams, including the San Pedro and Verde rivers. Dol-lars from our Arizona mem-bers are essential to funding these important conserva-tion programs.

To advance our conserva-tion work, we must also stem the tide of anti-environmental policies. The Arizona Legis-lature is seeking to remove Clean Water Act protections

from most of Arizona’s rivers and streams and is asking Con-gress to eliminate protections for the Mexican gray wolf, one of the most endangered mammals in North America. Legis-lative leaders also are attempting to erect barriers to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit climate disruption and are preventing improvements to air quality.

As you know, we are the only environmental organi-zation in Arizona that maintains a presence at the Arizona Capitol and provides legislators with input on the broadest possible range of environmental issues.

To continue support for our work, we ask that you con-sider sending a check to Sierra Club – Grand Canyon Chap-ter, 202 E. McDowell Rd, Suite 277, Phoenix, AZ 85004 or, if you would prefer to use a credit card, you can give via PayPal by going to our website at http://arizona.sierraclub.org/donate-give.asp.

Thank you!

Sandy is the Chapter Director.

As a retired social worker/counselor, free-lance writer, and education coordinator, Sarah King knows the importance of reaching out to people.

Sarah’s environmental work began in 1972 at college, where she was known as “Mother Earth” for helping to put together Earth Day events. After moving to Arizona in 1978, she became the Education Coordinator for Phoenix Clean and Beautiful and began getting involved with Sierra Club off and on. After hearing Sandy Bahr speak at an Environmental Day at the Capitol and deciding that she wanted to be “just like her when she grew up,” Sarah realized how important and rewarding being an effective volunteer could be.

Sarah is one of the Chapter’s go-to volunteers. She consistently helps with outreach and education at numerous tabling events, even going out of her way to change doctors’ appointments and shuffle her schedule to help us out. We wouldn’t be able to participate in a number of events without her help. She is also a stalwart at service projects such as our Rio Salado Weed and Clean program.

When not busy helping spread Sierra Club’s message, Sarah also serves on the steering committee of Arizona Interfaith Power and Light (a religious response to global warming), is chairperson of the Arizona Ecumenical Council Earth Care Commission, and serves on her church’s Board of Church and Society and the United Methodist Conference Sidewalk Sunday School board.

Pretty busy lady, eh? Yet, even with all of this, Sarah enjoys many personal hobbies, including riding her elderly Arabian horses on the trail, geo-caching with her husband (over 3,000 finds so far!), watching movies, reading books, and playing steel drums with two bands – Steelin’ the Night Away and the Star Steelers Youth Steel Band. She also manages to find time for the rest of her family, including her “wonderful and very supportive” husband Charlie, daughter and son (when in town), two horses, two dogs, and two tortoises.

Thank you for all of your hard work, Sarah. We’re blessed to have you on our side!

Sarah King. Photo by Charlie King.

http://arizona.sierraclub.org/donate-give.asp

http://arizona.sierraclub.org/donate-give.asp



Hitched to Everything Else in the Universe ($1–49)Roger BarthelsonElizabeth E. BeesonDon BergevinJeff & Keesha Best

Bruce BilderJan BuckwalterJean ClarkRonald CohenCrenshawMarylouise CullenCharlotte CushmanP. Dobson & C. LevensonLorraine EwbankSamuel & Lila FlaglerTricia GeaterMark GrenardLois GrotewoldRenee GuilloryJoan & G. J. HamburgerJoyce HardinMr. & Mrs. Sidney M HirshAlfred HoegerKathleen HorowitzHoward IsraelJules KetchamBernard KobesMichael LandrumLucy LoganCharmaine MaitlandRichard I. MarimowCarrol McDonaldCheryl McRill & Joe GraberWilliam MuirGlen & Shirley MurrayTheodore NovakJohn NuechterleinRonald RobertsLeigh RobinsonRobert Roffler

The Morning Stars Sing Together ($500+)J. Grossman & H. MechanicRobert & Julia Millis

Make the Mountains Glad ($100–499)Gary & Molly BeverlyLauren Breihan & David LangBryce & Kathryn DenneySharon FairchildJ. Finlayson & L. MandarinoJoe FlynnPaul GolabTim HoganWilliam C. HughesThomas HulenCorliss Jenkins-SherryKenneth P. LangtonDrs. B. R. & W. R. LoewensteinKen McGintyDuane & Margaret MorseHap PersonDonald Louis PiersonMichael QuinlanKathy RoedigerNancy SantoriRobert M. ShervemLinda SnyderShirley StanhopeDuffie WestheimerJean M. WhiteRobert Wist

Thank You to Our Donors!

The Grand Canyon Chapter is also thankful for the generous support from those who chose to remain anonymous.

Thank you to Scott Pitnick for donating in honor of his father, Bill Scherer’s, birthday.

Thank you to Annette & Mike Sechrest for donating in honor of Ms. Mica Goldfeder & Mr. Ken Huls’s wedding. Congrats!

Thank you to the Saguaro Group for donating to our Water Sentinels program!

Thank you, Z.

The environmental movement lost a good friend in Nancy Zierenberg. “Z,” as she was known to many of her friends, was an advocate for the planet, plants, animals, and protecting wildlands, but her real passion was protecting Arizona’s native plants, down to the most humble of grasses. Recently, she was posthumously awarded the Corazón de Justicia award for environmental protection by Coalición de Derechos Humanos for which she was nominated by the Arizona Native Plant Society. The Sierra Club received a $3,000 anonymous gift in her memory to support our important work to protect the sensitive border lands and the native plants and animals found there. We are grateful to the donors and most grateful to Z for all of her work to make this a better place for all of us. We will use these dollars to honor

her life and the things she cared about. A memorial service to celebrate her life was held on March 26.

Keep Close to Nature’s Heart ($50–99)David CherneyJon Christopher

Dennis & Sevren CoonAmy CrownChristine CurtisMr. & Mrs. Rudy DankwortPhilip & Marilyn DownumJames F. Eder, Jr.Alvin R. FinkelsteinPaul R. Gordon & Eve ShapiroC. J. Gorman & P. W. HedrickHolly HansonMichael HarrisonGayle G. HartmannLee R. HutchinsRichard JayneRobert MawkFelicia & Warren MayJane McNamaraMatt McWenieJeanne Miyasaka & Joseph RyanAlida MontielS. E. NewmanOrval K. NuttingMr. & Mrs. Walter PelechHerbert RingBetty SadowskyF. Stoller & W. GrabeDrs. Jack & Joy TuberMick VelezAnthony VernaWalter W. WalkerCarole & Jerome WilsonLeland Wilson

In Memory Jack Foster

The Grand Canyon Chapter recently lost its favorite curmudgeon. Jack Foster died on January 9, 2011, after a full life of 87 years. He was a good friend to the Sierra Club, to many of us, and to the planet overall. His top advocacy issues were population and transportation – encouraging people to have fewer children and to break their horrible automobile addiction – on which he worked up to the end. At the Chapter’s 2010 picnic, Jack received a 25-year membership certificate and took the opportunity to promote the book Lies My Teacher Told Me. You may have read his brief review in the last issue of the Echo. He bought copies of the book and distributed them broadly.

Jack had a wonderful sense of humor and a great capacity for making people think, even when it was a bit uncomfortable. While he loved to be that curmudgeon, he was kind and caring, and, despite his best efforts to deny this, he really liked people. He would have hated a eulogy in the Echo, but he did enjoy the piece “Here’s to Jack!” we included when he moved to California briefly some years ago. In that, Sandy Bahr wrote:

“Thank you, Jack, for your commitment to environmental protection and for all of your work on behalf of the Sierra Club in Arizona. I especially want to thank you for your friendship, your humor, and your kind words over the years that have helped keep me going.”We shall miss him.Thank you to the following people who donated in memory of Jack

Foster: Sandy Bahr & Dave Komm, Mr. & Mrs. Sidney Hirsh, Tiffany & Scott Sprague.

Jack Foster (right), Rich Genser (left), and Carl Pope. Photographer unknown.

Cheryl ScottRon SeligJames M. SheaPatricia SmithThomas SonandresDeb Sparrow

Julie K. SteinbachJeanne StricklandBarbara TellmanDeborah VathHal & Cathy Williams



“Those against environmental sustainability simply lack education of the matter.” –Raymond Womble

The Colorado River is the West’s source of life for many states. The river starts from melted snow up in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming along with other tributaries that cut a path down through the Rocky Moun-tains. In 1981, environmentalist Philip Fradkin, a well-known author, published a book titled A River No More, which high-lighted the possibility of a dwindling supply of fresh water to Tucson from the Colorado River. While once he believed that the river water would eventually be depleted by cli-mate change and overuse, he now believes that the battle over water allocation amongst western states has not ended. Philip Fradkin also wrote that the Colorado River Compact of 1922 was enacted during a relatively wet period and now believes that the only way we can address possible future water shortag-es from the Central Arizona Project (CAP) is to have a common statehood-oriented fo-cus and work on water allocation together. The Colorado River Compact separated the river basin into two parts: a lower and up-

Congratulations to our Essay Contest Winner!Contrasting Views on Issues of Dwindling Water

By Raymond Womble

per basin. The river caters to nearly 20 million people and helps irrigate approximately 3 million acres of land. Over the past couple decades, en-vironmentalists started to re-alize that the Colorado River Compact of 1922 did indeed overestimate the annual flow of water, and over-allocation was a major problem for many years according to sev-eral studies.

On the other side of the sandbar, water consultant and environmentalist Pris-cilla Robinson has a much more sanguine outlook of the CAP canal and Tucson’s water management fore-cast. She knows the inherent problems of relying solely on one source of water for an entire city, and further stated that the board governing the

CAP has been looking at alternatives for the past couple of decades. Finally, Ms. Robin-

son added that Tucson has the capacity for storage of CAP distributions and is part of a growing emergence of cities that are educat-ing people about water conservation. While there is no question about the importance of the Colorado River to this part of the U.S., we must not overlook the environmental impacts that overuse causes. Today, the river usually runs dry before reaching the Pacific Ocean, causing significant wildlife damage. Tighter measures on water conservation and efficient irrigation are becoming more necessary as the American West tries its best to figure out how to divide a massive river amongst many states. As a daunting wave of new over-turners and “nay-sayers” enters the House and Senate, we must continue the fight for sustainable measures and press the need for everyone to get out and support local, environmentally-focused groups that encourage education of conservation and preservation.A canal slices through Arizona. Photo by Scott Sprague.

Is Reuse of Sewage Effluent a Solution to Water Supply Problems?By Doris Cellarius

charge of groundwater with effluent may be a source as surface and groundwater are connected. Prescott is considering doing more artificial recharge, and there are con-cerns that this may transfer pollutants to the groundwater, its source of drinking water, and to the nearby Verde River. Prescott’s Citizens Water Advisory Group organized a conference, “Recharge of Treated Wastewa-ter to Ground Water: What are the Risks,” where scientists and government experts in-formed the community about what is known and being done about these problems. Vid-eos of their presentations are available at http://www.cwagaz.org/video.html.

Treatment: Municipalities are trying advanced sewage treatment such as micro filtration, reverse osmosis, ozone, ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide, and soil aqui-fer treatment. Each has advantages and dis-Water shortages have led cities in the

Southwest to replenish their groundwater supplies with effluent, the liquid that re-

mains after sewage is treated and filtered. The system is called “arti-ficial recharge.” Effluent is placed in special basins so it can pass through the soil and infiltrate the groundwater. This is regulated by the state of Arizona, which issues Aquifer Protection Permits for this and other uses of effluent, such as irrigation, stock watering, and cooling water for power plants. A new small-scale water reuse system, AQUS, does not require a permit. It enables water draining down sinks to flush toilets.

Another reuse of effluent that some states are considering is the introduction of highly treated ef-fluent directly into potable water

supplies. No systems like this, called “direct potable reuse,” are currently operating in the U.S.

Why is “reuse of effluent” such a con-cern? A major obstacle is the discovery that there are many chemical contaminants of concern that sewage plants do not remove, and some of these pollutants are now be-ing found in surface water and even drink-ing water. Concerns escalated in the 1990s when wastewater pollutants were linked to reproductive disorders in fish living down-stream of sewage outfalls. The pollutants were unregulated chemicals found in con-sumer products but only recently identified because analytical detection limits are now very sensitive. The problem is that some aquatic organisms are adversely affected at these levels. Scientists consider this a warn-ing for humans.

Finding pollutants in drinking water is not surprising as many sewage plants dis-charge to rivers, a source of drinking wa-ter for many cities. How pollutants reach groundwater is another question, but re- See Effluent continued on pg. 10.

Wastewater discharge. Courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey.



What is your Outdoor Quotient (O.Q.)?

See answers on pg. 11 or visit http://canyonecho.wikispaces.com/OQ+Answers.

KNOWLEDGE1. How many pounds does water weigh per gallon? a. 2 b. 4 c. 6 d. 8

2. Humid air is heavier than dry air.a. True b. False

3. If a new south wind occurs in the northern hemisphere, what might you expect?a. Warmer b. Rain c. Both

4. The moon appears half full in the morning sky. How many days until it appears full?a. About 7 b. About 14 c. About 21

5. You see lightning and hear thunder 8 seconds later. How far away was the lightning?a. 1 mile b. 1.5 miles c. 2 miles d. >2 miles

6. A map has a scale of 1:100,000. Approximately what does 1 inch represent in miles?

a. 0.5 b. 1 c. 1.5 d. 2 e. 4

7. A map has contour intervals of 20 meters. About how many feet is that?a. 50 b. 55 c. 60 d. 65 e. 70

8. How many healthy adults have been killed by healthy wolves in the U.S.?a. 0 b. <5 c. >5

9. If a bear attacks you, do you defend yourself or play dead?a. Defend b. Play dead c. Depends on the species of bear

10. How many ways can you find north without using a GPS or a compass?a. 0 b. 1 c. 2 d. 3 e. 4

11. How many constellations can you identify? (NOTE: the Big Dipper is not a constellation)a. 0 b. 1–9 c. 10–19 d. ≥20

12. How many species of birds can you identify without a bird guide?a. 0 b. 1–9 c. 10–19 d. 10–19 e. ≥ 20

13. Which of these are okay to leave behind outdoors? (Select all that apply.)a. Beer can b. Toilet paper c. Apple core d. Footprints e. Some trail mix for the critters f. Gum wrapper g. Your hiking partner

14. Name 10 essential pieces of equipment needed for exploring and enjoying our planet.

EXPERIENCE15. Have you ever slept under the stars?

a. Yes b. No

16. Have you ever slept in a tent? (Select all that apply)a. No b. Yes, in the backyard c. Yes, in an established campgroundd. Yes, dispersed in the woods e. Yes, two or more consecutive nightsf. Yes, in the wilderness, more than 5 miles from civilization

17. What is the longest hike you’ve taken?a. I never have b. 1–10 miles c. 10–19 miles d. >20 miles

18. How many national parks have you visited?a. 0 b. 1–4 c. 5–9 d. 10–14

19. How many different species of wild mammals have you seen?a. 1–9 b. 10–19 c. >20

20. How many species of bears have you seen in the wild?a. 0 b. 1 c. 2 d. 3+

BONUS: Have you been on a hike led by Ken McGinty?a. No b. Well, I tried but had to turn back or died tryingc. Yep, the whole thing – and I survived!

Grand Canyon is one of our premier national parks and naturally one of the quietest places on earth. Now is the time to speak up so we can hear Grand Can-yon again.

The National Park Service (NPS) released the Draft Environmental Im-pact Statement (EIS) on how to manage airtour rides at Grand Canyon. Unfor-tunately, their preferred al-ternative is an attempt to make everyone happy, at the expense of natural resources.

For instance, we have asked that one of the two airtour routes in the heart of the park be seasonally closed. The preferred al-ternative in the EIS does this, but it gives the industry what they want: exempting the fixed-wing and long helicopter tours from the seasonal closures.

They continue to protect the hotel areas but push the aircraft farther into the wilder-ness character areas. Alternative F would give the industry new routes deep into wilder-ness. The industry wants flights throughout Marble Canyon, which now has only cross-ing flights, with few canyon-parallel flights.

While the NPS alternative increases the quiet time before sunset to an hour, it increases the number of tour rides by 8,000 per year. This will hammer the sacrifice zones. The Hualapai tours, airtour related flights that are not airtours, and transporta-tion flights are not included in the alloca-tions and, hopefully, will be relocated out-side the park.

While the NPS plan calls for quiet technology, this may not help. The current definition of quiet technology is really noise efficiency. It allows more noise if the aircraft have more seats. This will help the industry but could make the park noise increase.

What they should do is decrease the number of flights to at least the same number as when Congress said there was a problem in the 1975 Grand Canyon Enlargement Act. In January 2011, the NPS reduced the number of mule rides on the Bright Angel Trail while allowing more rides outside the canyon. They should do the same for the airtours.

The NPS goal is to make half of the park quiet for 75% of the day. That would allow tour aircraft to be audible for 25% of the day in half of the park and any amount of noise in the other half of the park. This is not good enough, nor quiet enough, for our premier park.

Grand Canyon: Noise Hell or Natural Quiet?By Jim McCarthy

Jim is on the Chapter Executive Committee.

Take Action!

What happens at Grand Canyon is up to the American people, not the NPS or Federal Aviation Administration. Please write asking to have the park’s natural quiet protected. Let your voice be heard above the noise of commercial airtours. Please support Alternative E, which is a stronger alternative than the NPS alternative.

Comments can be mailed to Planning and Compliance, GCNP, PO Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023. See the EIS or submit comments at http://bit.ly/gFWT09. Or go to one of the public meetings (details TBD). Comments accepted through June 20, 2011.

Helicopter at Papago Point. Photo by Dennis Brownridge.



Scott is a volunteer with the Sierra Club.

The Disconnect Between Water Law and Hydrology in 500 Words or LessBy Scott D. Mittelsteadt

In the West, rivers happen for two rea-sons: it rains and the run-off follows grav-ity to the nearest ocean, if possible, or wa-ter seeps to the surface from underground aquifers, collects in river beds, and tries, if possible, to follow the forces of gravity to the nearest ocean. Fortunately, the existence of this water allows for the existence of healthy riparian areas that support a myriad of birds, insects, plants, trees, lizards, mammals, and…people.

However, in the days when the science of hydrology was little known or under-stood, Territory law followed the doctrines of Prior Appropriation or “First in Time, First in Right” for surface water and Reason-able-Use for groundwater. As far as anyone was concerned, these were two wholly un-

related items. As such, farmers, ranchers, min-ers, or anyone else with a water right proceeded to suck the rivers dry, caus-ing aquifer levels to drop, or to suck the aquifer dry which caused, in many cases, the rivers to disap-pear. The Santa Cruz of yester-year and the San Pedro of today are prime examples.

Eventually, water us-ers began to catch on to what was happening, and they sued other water uses they thought violated their proprietary water rights. The best the courts could come up with, how-ever, was the idea of “sub-flow” as it is tied to surface water. This water was deemed a part of the surface water system and, therefore, filed under the laws of prior appropriation.

Also, the state started to see the devas-tating effects over-pumping had on the land-scape and in 1980 created the concept of Ac-tive Management Areas (AMAs). Theoreti-cally, AMAs were to regulate the pumping of groundwater in heavily populated areas and “control” the growth of communities by re-quiring that new developments assure a 100-year water supply. It was a great idea and was far superior to what other states were doing

at the time, but it was riddled with loop-holes and still avoided the connection aqui-fers have with surface water.

The courts got closer to solving the dis-connect in Gila River IV (2000) in which they recognized the detrimental effects sub-flow pumping had on the adjacent river system and allowed the regulation of these wells. However, they still wouldn’t touch wells that lay outside these sub-flow ar-eas. While recognizing the absurdity of the disconnect, they felt bound to precedent (Southwest Cotton, 1931), and urged the Arizona Legislature to take on the issue. So far, the Arizona Legislature has done little to rectify the situation.

The dry Santa Cruz River. Courtesy of AZ Dept. of Water Resources.

The disconnect between Arizona water law and the science of hydrology is a com-plex and difficult issue. Giving it the atten-tion it deserves requires an essay much lon-ger than this. If you are interested in learn-ing more, check out the Water Resources Research Center for related articles and pub-lications (http://ag.arizona.edu/azwater) and be sure to check out Arizona Rivers (http://www.arizonarivers.org) or get involved with the Sierra Club’s Arizona Water Sentinels to learn how you can work to protect the state’s waterways and the many creatures that de-pend on them for survival.

Blue River Wilderness

Silence, like a thick comforter,wraps this place in quiet.Insulated from the frantic human roar,we find peace.

Nary a rustle in the bushes, nor the chirp of a cricket,Disturbs our quiet.We are blessed with this silenceto let our mind and heart find peace.

–Barbara M. Cain



Steve is the Chapter’s Water Sentinels Program Coordinator.

See Verde continued on pg. 11.

The San Pedro Water SentinelsBy Steve Pawlowski

Water is LifeBy Gary Beverly

The Arizona Water Sentinels program is growing! The Grand Canyon Chapter start-ed its Water Sentinels program in December 2006 with a focus on the Verde River. For over four years, volunteers have been going to the Verde River six times a year to conduct water quality and flow monitoring. Sentinels also have participated in periodic Verde Riv-er clean-ups, native fish restoration efforts, and invasive species removal projects.

In August 2010, the Arizona Water Sentinels program took a big step towards becoming a statewide program with an or-ganizational meeting of a San Pedro Water Sentinels group in Sierra Vista. About 20 interested citizens came to find out about the program and to see how they could get involved in hands-on conservation work to maintain and protect the Upper San Pedro River within the Riparian National Conser-vation Area.

The San Pedro Water Sentinels have accomplished a great deal in their first six months of work. Their first project was a riv-er clean-up conducted in December 2010. About 30 volunteers with the San Pedro Wa-ter Sentinels, Huachuca Audubon, Friends

of the San Pedro River, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) worked together to clean up a 5-mile reach of the San Pedro River from the Arizona-Mexico border to the Highway 92 Bridge near Palominas. The clean-up was a huge success, and we have scheduled another Spring Clean-Up on a different reach of the San Pedro River for Saturday, April 2. Join us!

The San Pedro Sentinels are learning how to conduct citizen water quality moni-toring. A training session on surface water monitoring procedures and protocols was held at Cochise College in January. Volun-teers learned how to collect grab samples for E. coli bacteria analysis and how to make field measurements of pH, dissolved oxy-gen, and other water quality parameters us-ing the same instruments that Sentinels use on the Verde River. A field experience train-ing session was held on the San Pedro near the Charleston Road Bridge to give practical experiences with water quality monitoring. A 2011 sample plan has been written. The Sentinels will go to five sites on San Pedro four times a year to conduct monitoring, fo-cusing primarily on the collection of E. coli

bacteria data from the river. The first Water Sentinels monitoring trip to the San Pedro River was in February. Water quality data collected by the Sentinels will be shared with the BLM and with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to assist them

with water quality assessments and BLM management of the river within the Ripar-ian National Conservation Area.

Water Sentinels sampling the San Pedro River. Photo by Tiffany Sprague.

It’s been a snowy winter. After the last storm, I got out for a cold, wet hike along the upper Verde. Snow cov-ered the grasslands and hill-sides down to the riverbank, slowly melting to recharge aquifers, feed springs, and fill rivers.

We mine that ground-water and divert those rivers to support our homes, farms, and commerce. Wildlife de-pends on surface water. Ecol-ogists calculate that Arizona’s rivers directly support 80% of our wildlife species; the Apache felt that spiritually.

Yavapai-Apache tribal elders tell us that water has special sacred significance.

“Water is life,” says elder Bob Bear. “As long as the river flows, life will be good” (Mary Sine, ca 1935).

The Apache claim an ancient, deep, and powerful spiritual stake in the Verde River, its springs, and ancient sites. Through oral traditions passed along by respected elders, every individual Apache has a personal re-lationship to water. Water is the life-giving force. Animals, including the birds, the bugs, the deer, and the mouse, have a right to water just as humans do. Although all wa-ter is important, the Apache recognize dif-ferent levels of importance. The Verde River (in Apache, Tu Cho n’lin, which means “big water running”), the life force of their cul-ture, is Sacred. Springs, however, are Holy – the highest level of sacredness – because they erupt directly from the earth, directly from the Hand of God. This is why, according

to elder and past tribal Chairman Vincent Randall, the Yavapai-Apache Nation is espe-cially protective of the continued flow of up-per Verde River springs (in Apache, Tu Cho Ha Li’in, which means “big water bubbling up”), the source of Tu Cho n’lin.

Despite the vast ecological importance of riparian landscapes, nearly all of Arizona’s rivers have been degraded by bank-side de-velopment, groundwater withdrawal, and surface water diversions. The Colorado River in Arizona is completely regulated and is no longer perennial to the sea. The Gila River, dammed and regulated, is no longer peren-nial for most of the state. The Salt River is constrained and regulated by four dams and is no longer perennial below Granite Reef Dam. The formerly perennial Santa Cruz

Snowy afternoon on the Upper Verde. Photo by Gary Beverly.

Get Involved!

The San Pedro Water Sentinels are off to a great start! Interested in getting your hands dirty and your feet wet? Join us on our next water quality monitoring trip (see pg. 16) or clean-up at the San Pedro River or any of our Verde River trips. Contact Steve Pawlowski at 602-254-9330 or [email protected].



Effluent continued from pg. 6.

Dan is a permaculture consultant and teacher in Tucson with the Sonoran Permaculture Guild –

http://sonoranpermaculture.org.

Doris is a retired biologist and water activist in the Yavapai Group.

The Canyon Echo encourages contributors to license their work through Creative Commons.This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5 or send a letter to Creative Commons, 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, California 94105.

All other contributions, including photos, cartoons, and written work, fall under standard copyright restrictions.

Classified Ads(To inquire about advertising in Canyon Echo, contact Tiffany Sprague at 602-253-9140 or [email protected].)

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Harvesting Rainwater for a Sustainable FutureBy Dan Dorsey

advantages. Some are very expensive. Com-binations of these treatments significantly reduce many contaminants, but no single process is capable of removing them all.

Regulation: Banning specific chemicals is a lengthy process, but phasing out the ones

that are most difficult to treat is a good idea. The Environmental Protection Agency has called for stricter regulation of some of these pollutants: phthalates, PBDE flame retar-dants, and Bisphenol-A (BPA). The last two are being banned in some states.

Take Action!

Support conservation as the most effective way to conserve water supplies. Encourage adoption of advanced treatment. Avoid problem products, including pesticides, anti-bacterial products, insect repellants containing DEET, unnecessary pharmaceuticals and cleaning products. Save left-over drugs for city collection events. For more infor-mation, read “Consumer Products Threaten Aquatic Life: What Citizens Can Do” at http://www.sierraclub.org/toxics/downloads/fs4.pdf.

Last week I finally had to turn on the spigot to water my vegetable garden, since this winter has been so lacking in rain. The 2,000 gallons of rainwater stored in our metal cisterns that would normally get our

garden through the winter had run dry. In an average rainfall year of 12 inches, we grow all the salad greens and root vegetables our family can eat, using only the rainwater that falls on the roof surfaces on our av-erage-size urban lot. Having to use tap water got me to thinking about where our water supply comes from here in Tucson.

Much of our water arrives via the Central Arizona Project (CAP). According to the CAP website, it is the single largest supplier of wa-ter in Arizona and also the biggest user of electricity in the state. Water is heavy, so to move about 500 bil-lion gallons of Colorado River water last year the CAP used 2.8 million megawatt-hours of electricity. The power to move all this water came almost entirely from the coal-fired Navajo Generating Station near Lake Powell. Beginning at the CAP intake at Lake Havasu, the water I was using to keep my garden going came about 300 miles across the

desert and up about 3,000 feet in elevation to my central Tucson residence.

Looking several generations into the fu-ture, it is hard to see how this system of wa-ter delivery could be considered sustainable.

It is likely that the amount of water we are currently using won’t be available from the already overtaxed Colorado River because of long-term drought and global warming. The inexpensive energy to move that amount of water might not be available either. Maybe both of these conditions will exist.

Rainwater harvesting, which we can define as allowing rainwater that would or-dinarily run off a site to stay and be put to beneficial use, can help bridge this future water shortfall. However, for it to be a ma-jor source of water for Tucson and the dry lands of the American West, we will have to become true desert dwellers. We will need to start thinking of rainwater as our primary source of water and of a sustainable amount of groundwater pumping as our secondary source. Imported CAP water would be our third and last source – to be used only as a supplement in lean years.

You can get started with rainwater har-vesting as easily as placing a 30–50 gallon barrel under a roof downspout or digging a shallow basin in your yard to capture and sink rainwater into the soil. The plants in your landscape will love the salt-free water.

Be sure to check local and state regula-tions on water harvesting, however. Some jurisdictions in the West, like the City of Tucson, actively encourage water harvesting. Other jurisdictions make harvesting rainwa-ter more difficult to do.

These are some local web resources to get you started:

http://www.harvestingrainwater.comhttp://www.watershedmg.orghttp://www.sonoranpermaculture.org

Metal cistern with reed wrap. Photo by Dan Dorsey.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5



TCSS to the RescueBy Bill Thornton

Verde continued from pg. 9.

Gary is speaking up for the Verde River.

Answer Key for “What is Your Outdoor Quotient?”(point values in parentheses)

For more information, visit http://canyonecho.wikispaces.com/OQ+Answers.

1. d (15)2. b (10)3. c (15), a or b (5)4. c (15)5. b (15)6. c (15)7. d (15), c (5)8. a (15)9. c (15)10. a (0), b (5), c (10), d (15), e (20)11. a (-10), b (5), c (10), d (15)12. a (-10), b (5), c (10), d (15), e (20)13. a (-10), b (-10), c (-10), d (0), e (-10), f (-10), g (that depends….)14. Possible items: compass, shelter, waterproof matches, extra food, knife, mirror,

rain gear, full water bottle, light source, first aid kit, whistle (1 point each with maximum of 10)

15. a (5), b (0)16. a (0), b (1), c (2), d (3), e (4), f (10)17. a (0), b (5), c (10), d (15)18. a (-10), b (5), c (10), d (15)19. a (0), b (5), c (10)20. a (0), b (5), c (10), d (15)BONUS: a (5 – for knowing your limits), b (10), c (15)

RESULTS234+ points: Wilderness warrior! You certainly know your

outdoors. Perhaps you’re the next John Muir?193–233: Environment enthusiast! You may not know

everything about our great outdoors, but you certainly know your way around. John Muir would be proud!

151–192: Keep on trekking! Find what you missed by continuing to explore and enjoy our great outdoors. Join us for an outing or event (see pp. 12–16).

110–150: You’re on the right track! Keep on exploring and enjoying our environment. Get more involved by joining an outing or event (see pp. 12–16).

0–109: You’re trailing behind. We encourage you to get out and get involved in our great outdoors. Need ideas? Join us for an outing or event (see pp. 12–16)!

Many thanks to Michael S. Smith for creating this quiz.

River is now effluent-dependent and mostly ephemeral. The San Pedro River, even after decades of effort to maintain a base flow, is perennial for only 53 miles of its 174-mile length. Most of Arizona’s major rivers are now no longer rivers – they are dry washes flowing only after precipitation; their ripar-ian habitat, and wildlife, is gone.

Vincent Randall asked me, “When are you people going to learn to live sustain-ably?”

Today, the Verde River above Horse-shoe Dam is the longest (approximately 150 miles) and one of the last perennial free-flowing, living rivers in Arizona and the Southwest. The Verde’s banks comprise a significant portion of what riparian area is left in the state. The Verde River, the life-blood of the watershed, is essential life sup-port for most of Arizona’s wildlife species – a truly irreplaceable and endangered ecologi-cal resource, a jewel of the Southwest.

Protect the Verde!

Tips for buyers

1. Unless it’s nursery grown, every Arizona native plant must bear a permit tag (white for saguaros over 8 inches, yellow for all others). If a plant is sold bare root and not tagged, don’t buy it.

2. Many reputable nurserymen offer high quality desert plants and good advice on selection and care. In southern Arizona, refer to the business directory on the TCSS website. In the Phoenix area, see the Central Arizona Cactus and Succulent Society website. Desert Botanical Garden is another excellent source.

3. Check the TCSS website (http://www.tucsoncactus.org) for news of future sales. The Tucson Botanical Garden and Desert Botanical Garden also hold spring and fall sales.

CACSS is organizing a cactus rescue program in the Phoenix area. See website (http://www.centralarizonacactus.org) for details or contact Bill Thornton at 520-795-6028 or [email protected].

As conservationists, we have worked to protect the biologically rich Sonoran Desert from the march of sprawl development. Our efforts have met with limited success. De-velopment continues, albeit at a slower pace due to the economic downturn.

Even worthwhile projects may require removal of desert vegetation. Such was the case when the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society’s (TCSS) “Cactus Rescue Crew” was called to the site of a 100-acre solar array at the University of Arizona Science and Tech-nology Park.

Crew members of the TCSS are noti-fied by e-mail of the time and location of each rescue operation. After a safety briefing, we fan out across the worksite in search of transplantable cacti. No saguaros are present

at this location, but barrel cacti are abundant along with a good number of hedgehog and pincushion cacti and a few ocotillos. The elusive “Queen of the Night” makes an oc-casional appearance. As plants are dug and hauled to the staging area, Arizona Native Plant Tags are attached as required by law.

Rescued plants are offered for sale to the public whenever a sufficient supply is avail-able. Plants are priced to recover the cost of the tag with a small markup added to fund our conservation and education programs.

The TCSS cactus rescue program is a win for all. To date, more than 300 volun-teers have salvaged more than 50,000 desert plants from 102 locations, including con-

See Cactus Rescue continued on pg. 12.

The “Cactus Rescue Crew” salvaging native plants. Photo by Bill Thornton.



Happenings Around the StateSix Groups make up the Grand Canyon Chapter. All the events and meetings listed below are open to members interested in learning more about the Sierra Club. You can find out more at our website: http://arizona.sierraclub.org – click on “Meetings and Events.” Schedules are subject to change. (x) Group Ex-Com members

Palo Verde Group (Phoenix)http://arizona.sierraclub.org/paloverde

Chair: Blair McLaughlin (x) 602-618-8591 [email protected]/Secretary: Anna Tufo (x) 602-796-1617 [email protected]: Jerry Nelson 602-279-4668 [email protected]: Don Steuter (x) 602-956-5057 [email protected]: Denise Aston 480-767-1850 [email protected] City Outings: Lisa Vaaler 602-468-4158 [email protected]: Dennis Ryan (x) 602-348-5667 [email protected]/Publicity: Michael Brady (x) 480-250-4054 [email protected]: Jim Vaaler (x) 602-553-8208 [email protected] Justice: Gil Venable (x) 602-254-4574 [email protected] (At-Large): Sherry Celine (x) 602-840-4611 [email protected]

David McCaleb (x) 602-840-7655 [email protected]

APR 12, MAY 10, JUN 14 (TUE) 6:30 p.m. Conservation Committee meetings. Contact Don Steuter at 602-956-5057 or [email protected]. Executive Committee meetings, 8 p.m. Contact Blair McLaughlin at 602-618-8591 or [email protected]. Located at 202 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix (2nd floor conference room in the SE corner of the Quality Inn).

NOTE LOCATION CHANGE: Programs will now be held in the Garden Room of the Quality Inn and Suites, 202 E.

McDowell Rd., Phoenix. For more information, contact Blair McLaughlin.

APR 19 (TUE) 6:30 p.m. Why Did the Bighorn Sheep Cross the Road? Wildlife-vehicle collisions and habitat fragmentation put drivers and wildlife at risk. In an effort to prevent further degradation and counteract existing problems, wildlife and transportation agencies are working together to bolster road permeability and safety. Research projects here in Arizona are at the forefront of this emergent field. Join Scott Sprague with the Arizona Game and Fish Department to learn about projects for several wildlife species along Arizona highways and the approaches utilized in an effort to restore wildlife connectivity, including the first-ever wildlife overpasses for bighorn sheep.

MAY 17 (TUE) 6:30 p.m. TBD.

JUN 21 (TUE) 6:30 p.m. Species Relocation due to Climate Change. Bill Minteer, Associate Professor at ASU’s Center for Biology & Society and School of Life Sciences, will discuss climate change and the ethics of managed relocation to preserve species. He will also address other ethical and policy issues raised by current responses in the conservation community to global climate change. Join us for this provocative topic!

Sedona/Verde Valley Grouphttp://arizona.sierraclub.org/sedona

Chair: Marlene Rayner (x) 928-203-0340 [email protected]: Bob Donahue (x) 928-639-1885 [email protected]: Brian Myers (x) 928-204-1703 [email protected]: Nancy Baer (x) 928-204-2353 [email protected]: Margaret Anderson 928-203-4355 [email protected] (At Large): Dennis Rayner (x) 928-203-0340 [email protected]

To get involved with the Sedona/Verde Valley Group, contact Marlene Rayner.

Rincon Group (Tucson)http://arizona.sierraclub.org/rincon

Chair: Roy Emrick (x) 520-326-7883 [email protected]: Keith Bagwell (x) 520-623-0269 [email protected]: Melissa Ramsey (x) 520-270-8190 [email protected]: Randy Serraglio (x) [email protected]: Russell Lowes (x) 520-321-3670 [email protected]: Mitch Stevens 520-991-1199 [email protected] City Outings: Matt Nelson 520-404-7992 [email protected]: Lee Oler 520-791-9246 [email protected] (At-Large): Carl Kanun (x) 520-297-1128 [email protected]

APR 28, MAY 26, JUN 30 (THU) Conservation Committee (6 p.m.) and Executive Committee (7:15 p.m.) meetings. Located in the first floor conference room of the Historic YWCA, 738 N. 5th Ave., Tucson. Open to the public. Sierra Club members, in particular, are urged to participate in the Conservation Committee meetings. Hope to see you there!

Programs are at the Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona, 924 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact Keith Bagwell.

APR 14 (THU) 7 p.m. The Saguaro Census: 20 Years of Change at Saguaro National Park. Saguaro National Park was created as a national monument in the 1930s – in no small part because of its magnificent stands of saguaro. By the 1980s, however, the saguaros were in decline. In 1990, park officials began a decennial census of the park’s saguaros that coincides with the nation’s population censuses. Saguaro National Park Biologist Don Swann will present the results of the 2010 census and its implications for the health of the park’s flora. Swann also will preview the National Park Services’ plans for a BioBlitz to gather more data about status of the park’s flora on Oct. 20 and 21.

MAY 12 (THU) 7 p.m. The Waterways of Eastern Pima County. Pima County Hydrologist Julia Fonseca presents on the county’s inventory of the streams, washes, springs, and riparian areas of Eastern Pima County, an outgrowth of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. Julia will discuss the threats and opportunities for improvements to these extremely valuable water features. She will describe how these water features are essential to the maintenance and restoration of our areas’ ecological health.

JUN 9 (THU) 7 p.m. Energy Futures: a Dark Repeat of the Past or a Shining and Sustainable Example? Russell Lowes, chair of the Rincon Group’s Energy Subcommittee and research director of Safe Energy Analysts, paints a picture of our energy present, recent trends, threats to a sustainable future, and how renewable energy can supply our needs and provide both a healthy environment and economy. Russell reveals that despite tremendous strides in the implementation of conservation strategies and non-polluting means of energy production, total national energy consumption is up dramatically and dirty energy sources remain predominant. But he lays out a viable path to a better future that we need to demand our decision-makers to follow.struction and mine sites, pipeline and power

line corridors, and road widening projects. Plants that would otherwise have been de-stroyed are given a new lease on life. Low water use plants are made available to hom-eowners and landscapers at reasonable cost, and an instruction sheet is provided with each sale. With proper care, the survival rate is very good.

The Cactus Rescue program could not exist without the support of the develop-ment community. Many project managers

Bill is a second generation native Arizonan and lifelong desert plant enthusiast.

Cactus Rescue continued from pg. 11. are now convinced that desert plant salvage is good business and keep us in the loop for future rescue opportunities.

An increased emphasis on conserving our dwindling water supply has created a strong demand for desert plants and, un-fortunately, opportunities for plant thieves. Risks are small and potential profits large. Unsuspecting buyers can face prosecution for violating the native plant law and be disappointed when their plants die and the seller is long gone.



Plateau Group (Flagstaff)http://arizona.sierraclub.org/plateau

Chair/Political: Tom Martin (x) 928-558-0742 [email protected]: Jim McCarthy (x) 928-779-3748 [email protected]/Membership: Cynthia Pardo (x) 928-226-9399 [email protected]: Sharon Galbreath 928-774-1571 [email protected]: Marti Callahan (x) 928-525-9165 [email protected]: Jennifer Mitchell 315-882-8485 [email protected] (At Large): Steve McKellar (x) 928-526-4864 [email protected]

APR 11 (MON) 6 p.m. Sustainability and Conservation Programs, brought to you by City of Flagstaff. Learn about what Flagstaff is doing to keep the community clean and ecologically sound, including composting, recycling, and other conservation initiatives by The Sustainability and Environmental Management Section. SEM’s mission is to preserve and enhance the community and natural environment by implementing resource conservation and sustainability through projects, leadership, and education. Free & open to the public. Thorpe Center, Flagstaff.

APR 16 (SAT) 10 a.m. Executive Committee meeting. All members are welcome to come discuss environmental issues of interest. Located at 408 E. Route 66, Flagstaff (in back of the used car lot).

APR (date and venue TBD) Public meeting and film! Jim McCarthy and Tom Martin will show their 25-min. film, Grand Canyon: National Park, or Noise Park. Stay for the optional discussion of airtour noise issues at the park. Contact [email protected] for venue and time.

MAY 9 (MON) 6 p.m. The New National Forest Management Act: How Can You Improve It? Scotty Johnson, Defenders of Wildlife’s Senior Outreach Representative, will explain what the rule means, how it’s changed, and what improvements you should ask for. We’ll help you write a letter that sends a powerful message. Ensure a future for threatened species and clean water! Free and open to the public. Thorpe Center, Flagstaff.

JUN 13 (MON) 6 p.m. The Amazing Underground World of Grand Canyon Caves. Jut Wynne has travelled the world exploring caves and knows how to pick them out on a map of Mars. He’s one of the lucky ones who can borrow the gate keys and unlock the secrets of some of the most fragile and unique environments in the Grand Canyon region. Free and open to the public. Thorpe Center, Flagstaff.

Yavapai Group (Prescott)http://arizona.sierraclub.org/yavapai

Chair/Conservation: Tom Slaback (x) 928-778-4233 [email protected]/Membership: Joe Zarnoch (x) 928-636-5501 [email protected]/Treasurer: Joe Wenzel (x) 928-771-0838 [email protected]: Bob Grossman (x) 928-778-4919 [email protected]/Editor: Gary Beverly (x) 928-636-2638 [email protected]

APR 6, MAY 4, JUN 1 (WED) 6 p.m. Executive Committee meetings. All members are urged to attend our monthly meetings. We discuss local issues, receive updates on current projects, set priorities, and formulate action plans.

APR 21, MAY 19, JUN 16 (THU) 6 p.m. Film Nite. Join us for a social hour, snacks, and an environmentally-themed film. In honor of John Muir’s birthday, we will show The Boyhood of John Muir on Apr 21. Check our monthly e-newsletter or website for future programs.

Our next public general meeting will be our annual potluck picnic in June. Check the e-newsletter or website for place and time.

Volunteer opportunities: The position of Treasurer is available. Help us monitor the flow of the Upper Verde River and clean up a dispersed camping area while enjoying a day on the river. For more info contact Tom Slaback. To subscribe to the e-newsletter contact Gary Beverly. Updated announcements and events may be found there and on the website.

Saguaro Group (North Maricopa County)http://arizona.sierraclub.org/saguaro

Chair/Secretary: Bev Full (x) 480-595-2306 [email protected]: Louis Lantz (x) 480-488-4581 [email protected]: Urb Weidner 602-595-3301 [email protected]: Nancy Santori (x) 623-780-4734 [email protected] Club: Lynne Cockrum-Murphy (x) 602-569-6079 [email protected]/Meet-Up: Jim Wilkey (x) 480-649-2836 [email protected]/Meet-Up: Bob Moore (x) 714-686-1670 [email protected] Outings: Gordon Chase (x) 480-650-0365 [email protected]

MAR 16 (WED) 5:30 p.m. Executive Committee meeting/chili supper potluck/environmental film. The End of the Line, a documentary narrated by Ted Danson on depletion of sea life. Meet at Bev’s beginning at 5:30 p.m. for Excom meeting, 6:30 p.m. for supper and film. All interested members are encouraged to attend. Contact Bev Full.

APR 16 (SAT) 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Earth Day outreach. Located at the Sundial in Carefree. Volunteers are needed to talk with visitors and provide information about Sierra Club projects. Please contact Bev Full.

APR 23 (SAT) 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Earth Day outreach. Located at the Foothills Library in Cave Creek. Volunteers are needed to help out. Please contact Bev Full.

APR 29–30 (FRI–SAT) 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Earth Day outreach. Located at Pioneer Village. Volunteers are needed to help. This event is sponsored by the North County Conservancy. Please contact Nancy Santori to volunteer.

MAY 18 (WED) 7 p.m. General meeting. Located at the Phoenix Fire Station Meeting Room at 21650 Tatum Blvd, north of the 101 across from Desert Ridge Mall. Program: Environmental damage control issues at the U.S.-Mexico border. Speaker is Dan Millis, the Chapter’s Border Conservation Program Coordinator. Contact Bev Full for more information.

JUN 8 (WED) 6 p.m. Film Night/potluck buffet. Located at Bev’s. We will be viewing and discussing the film Hotspots about the rapid extinction of plant and animal species on Earth. Contact Bev Full for details.

Inner City Outings – Connecting Kids with Nature

This photo was taken at the Sabino Canyon dam during a 2009 trip for refu-gee children who are partici-pants in the Owl and Pan-ther expressive arts program for young people whose families have been victims of torture or traumatic disloca-tion. The two girls are from Somalia and Iraq. The ICO leader of the trip was Sha-ron Arkin, who also works with refugee families being

resettled by the International Rescue Committee. With the assistance of Sharon and other ICO, IRC, and Owl and Panther volunteers, refugee children and their parents have also visited Patagonia Lake State Park, Agua Caliente Park, the Sonora Desert Museum, Kings Canyon, Colossal Cave, Tanque Verde Falls, and Kartchner Caverns.

Donations to defray transportation, food, and other costs are gratefully accepted. Checks should be made out to Tucson ICO and sent to Tucson ICO c/o Perimeter

Bicycling Association of America, Inc., 2609 E. Broadway, Tucson, AZ 85716.

Water rescue. Photo by Sharon Arkin.



Enjoy and Explore ArizonaFor up-to-date information about outings, visit http://arizona.sierraclub.org/outings.asp.

APR 2 (SAT) “B+” Southern Perry Mesa (13 mi.). This on- and off-trail hike will explore the southern end of Perry Mesa in Agua Fria National Monument near Black Canyon City. We will ascend the steep slopes of the mesa and follow trails and dirt roads, visiting mining and cultural sites and enjoying spectacular rim views. Expect extremely steep and slippery slopes, rocky trails, and spiny plants aplenty. Gloves recommended. Drive 40 mi. from Phoenix. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

APR 9 (SAT) “B+” Fortuna Peak (10 mi., 1300’ EC). This exploratory peakbag will take us up to the 5,260’ high summit of Fortuna Peak in the mountains north of Superior. Although much of the hike will be on dirt roads, the off-trail route will involve steep and slippery slopes and thick, spiny, and brushy vegetation. Views should be excellent. Drive 70 mi. from Tempe. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

APR 10 (SUN) “B+” Sycamore Dam, Bear Canyon (6 mi., 1500’ EC). We’ll start at the Prison Camp Rd. at the Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Site and hike to Sycamore Dam, then scramble to Seven Cataracts. From there we’ll hike and scramble up to the waterfalls and take a break. Then back down to Bear Canyon and upstream via rock hopping. This hike involves 2.5 mi. of trail and 3 mi. of creek-bottom hiking, with about a 0.5 mi. of slick scree/rubble slopes around Seven Cataracts. Plenty of beautiful riparian area, gorgeous bedrock, and rock hopping. Your feet might get wet. Bring shoes with good traction. Requires good balance. Optional cold water swim. Contact Mitch Stevens at 520-991-1199 or [email protected]. Assistant lead is Russell Lowes. Tucson

APR 16 (SAT) “C” McDowell Mtn. Rd. Adopt-a-Highway Project (3 mi. RT, 500’ EC). We’ll clean the roadside of this scenic “Blue Highway” that meanders through the McDowell Mtn. foothills with backdrops of Four Peaks and the Superstition, McDowell, and Mazatzal Mtns. There’s no finer place to provide this community service, and we always finish before noon, leaving the afternoon free. Call Mike Brady at 480-250-4054. Phoenix

APR 16 (SAT) “B” Hike The Verde: Part 3 – Upper Verde River Wildlife Area to Granite Creek (5 mi., 400 EC). We’ll hike up the Verde River to the confluence with Granite Creek using informal trails. After stopping for lunch at Verde Springs, we may climb to the rim (spirits willing) to visit a multi-room ruin. No wading is required, but it’s fun to get your feet wet. Bring your camera. We’ll learn about the

natural history of and the conservation issues surrounding our Verde River. Pre-reservation required. Contact Gary Beverly at [email protected] (preferred) or 928-636-2638. 12 hiker limit. Prescott

APR 23 (SAT) “C” Brins Mesa (4 mi., 900’ EC). Enjoy unobstructed views of the gorgeous Sedona red rocks! Join us for a moderate stroll up Brins Mesa. The weather should be lovely and not too hot. Volunteers should bring sunscreen, water, snacks, and lunch. Contact Marti Callahan at [email protected]. Sedona

APR 24 (SUN) “B” Hike the Verde: Part 5 Sycamore Creek to Railroad Draw (6–12 mi., 600’ EC). From Sycamore Creek we’ll hike 3–6 miles (hiker choice) up the Verde River mostly on a trail, but be prepared to wade the river. We’ll

see outstanding redrock canyon scenery as we investigate a historic homestead and search for osprey and bald eagles. Shallow wading required. Bring your camera. We’ll learn about the natural history of and the conservation issues surrounding our Verde River. Reservation required, Contact Gary Beverly at [email protected] (preferred) or 928-636-2638. 12 hiker limit. Prescott

APR 24 (SUN) “B+” Elephant Head in the Santa Rita Mtns. via Agua Caliente Trailhead (9 mi. RT, 2800’ EC, some scrambling). This is a “hands-on” hike up one of the most prominent peaks in the Santa Ritas. You will want to keep your hands on the rock as you scramble up the last 500’ on the ridge to the summit. Also, you will have a memorable experience of the local vegetation while tracking the faint route into and out of Chino Canyon, especially if you are not wearing long pants. Limit 15. Contact John Che at 520-300-4639 or [email protected]. Tucson

APR 30 (SAT) “C” North Loop (3 mi. RT, 500’ EC). This fairly easy loop through the beautiful Sonoran Desert is a great opportunity for newcomers, birdwatchers, and those who just like to get out for a morning walk. We’ll learn about the park’s history, how community action helped save part of the park from development, how wildfire swept through the area years afterward, and how it’s recovered. Call Mike Brady at 480-250-4054. Phoenix

MAY 14 (SAT) “C” Little Saddle Mountain (4.2 mi. RT, 1900’ EC). This trail, maintained by the Sierra Club, climbs along streamsides through the rugged Mazatzal Wilderness to its endpoint at the intersection with the Saddle Mountain Trail. We’ll learn about how community action helped save parts of this area from highway construction. Call Mike Brady at 480-250-4054. Phoenix

MAY 15 (SUN) “B” Hike The Verde: Part 1 - Perkinsville Bridge to Bear Siding (7 mi., 100’

EC). After shuttling vehicles (2WD, 12 mi.), we’ll bushwhack down the Verde River through a very pretty and wild part. There is no trail. Be prepared to push through the brush and wade the river. This will be a long day, but there is outstanding scenery and photography, including a cave with cultural artifacts. Bring your camera. We’ll learn about the

Hike to Support Environmentally-Friendly Candidates!

We hope you’ll join us for one of these special hikes to benefit our Chapter Political Action Committee (PAC) fund! The PAC was created to provide financial support to candidates at the local and national level who are expected to work toward our goal of protecting our environment.

APR 2 (SAT) “C” Eagletail Wilderness PAC fundraising hike (7 mi., min. EC). The Eagletail Wilderness Area is rich in cultural artifacts. The area passing through the mid-section was used as a travelway by the Hohokam and their predecessors for thousands of years. The Eagletail Mtns. and the surrounding plains are a textbook example of our Basin and Range geologic province with volcanic necks and ash flows throughout. Desert bighorn sheep and mountain lions inhabit this wild area. Suggested donation is $25. Contact Jim Vaaler at 602-553-8208 or [email protected].

JUN 11 (SAT) ”C” PAC Fundraising Hike and Brunch. Hike to the waterfalls on Camp Creek in Tonto National Forest and enjoy a delicious brunch served at the nearby Sears Kay Ruins ramada. Suggested donation is $20. Contact Bev Full at 480-221-2554 or [email protected].

JUN 18 (SAT) “B” PAC Outing – Hike The Verde: Part 6 – Upper Verde River Wildlife Area (6 mi, 400’ EC). Special guided field tour to support Sierra Club Political Action Committee. Suggested donation is $25. We’ll hike down the Verde River into the Prescott National Forest using informal trails to view an enormous beaver dam, wildlife, and ancient ruins in a scenic canyon. Some shallow wading is required. Bring your camera. We’ll learn about the natural history of and the conservation issues surrounding our Verde River. Pre-reservation required. Contact Gary Beverly at [email protected] (email preferred) or call 928-636-2638. 10 hiker limit.

Eagletail Mountains. Photo by Craig Weaver.







natural history of and the conservation issues surrounding our Verde River. Reservation required. Contact Gary Beverly at [email protected] (preferred) or 928-636-2638. 10 hiker limit. Prescott

MAY 15 (SUN) “C” New Sonoran Preserve Trails (5+ mi., 700’ EC, 7–10 a.m.). See a little-traveled area of this north Phoenix preserve on new 2011 trails. We’ll start up a steep mountain in the cool morning, then look at some old mines before returning by 10 a.m. Contact Nancy Santori at 623-780-4734 or [email protected]. Phoenix

MAY 21 (SAT) “C” Huckaby Trail (5 mi. RT). Want to find some great Oak Creek swimming holes? This hike along Huckaby Trail in Sedona will show you those as well as a visually stunning view through Bear Wallow Canyon, along the toe of Mitton Ridge to just below Midgely Bridge. Moderate hike. Volunteers should bring sunscreen, water shoes, water, snacks, and lunch. Contact Jennie Mitchell at [email protected]. Sedona

MAY 21 (SAT) “B” Hike The Verde: Part 2 – Bull Basin to Hell Point (7 mi., 600’ EC). After shuttling vehicles (4WD, 7 mi), we’ll bushwhack down the Verde River through the most

isolated and beautiful section. There is no trail. Be prepared to push through the brush and wade the river. This will be a long day in the wilderness, but there is outstanding scenery and photography, including a cliff dwelling, a ruin, and wildlife. Lots of shallow wading required. Bring your camera. We’ll learn about the natural history of and the conservation issues surrounding our Verde River. Reservation required. Contact Gary Beverly at [email protected] (preferred) or 928-636-2638. 10 hiker limit. Prescott

MAY 22 (SUN) “B” Lemmons to Marshall (8.5 mi., 3000’ drop, 1700’ gain). We start at the Lemmon Rock Lookout. After enjoying the view over

Enjoy and Explore ArizonaFor up-to-date information about outings, visit http://arizona.sierraclub.org/outings.asp.

Over the last 10 years, I have organized and led more than 200 Sierra Club participants on 30 canoe/kayak outings on the Green and Colorado rivers in Utah and Arizona. We have covered 150 miles of stretches on the Colorado River and a 150-mile stretch on the Green River, a tributary of the Colorado. The rivers are seductive, so we have many regulars who come on every trip. We are hooked.

The outings are educational, inspirational, and often disheartening. Our rivers are under siege from overuse and abuse. The waters are home to dozens of bird species and other wildlife that have thrived here forever. These rivers and their canyons bear witness to ancient cultures, early explorers, settlers, and miners. Their many dams supply power and water to millions and support a vast agricultural industry vital to our economy.

My latest river outing, which included 15 paddlists, was in January 2011 on the Colorado River in the Imperial Wildlife Preserve. We enjoyed wonderful views of desert peaks and wildlife sightings that included foxes, bobcats, burros, coyotes, and all kinds of water birds, not to mention some pesky raccoons!

We Love Our RiversBy Beverly Full

The next river outing is scheduled for May 26 to June 2 on the Green River near Moab, Utah. We plan an ambitious 97-mile adventure that includes some interesting hikes up side canyons. I look forward to seeing more of our members on future river outings.

As we explore the rivers, our goals as environmentalists are to learn from them, appreciate their beauty, treat them gently, beware of their dangers, and protect their resources as best we can.

Bev is “The River Lady” and Chapter Outings Chair.

Lower Colorado River trip. Photo by Bob Moore.

the Wilderness of Rocks, we drop right into it. We continue all the way to the ice cold waters of Lemmon Pool for a dip (bring your swim suit and rubber duck) before we hike out to Marshall Gulch. Contact John Che at [email protected] (preferred) or 520-360-2507. Tucson

MAY 26–JUN 2 (THU–THU) 97-mile Green River Odyssey. Leaving from Moab, Utah. Carpool to Moab to canoe/kayak the Green River through Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyons. A few more spaces are still available. Contact Bev Full at 480-221-2554 or [email protected]. Moab

MAY 28 (SAT) “C” McDowell Mtn. Rd. Adopt-a-Highway Project (3 mi. RT, 500 EC). See description of APR 16 hike on pg. 14. Call Mike Brady at 480-250-4054. Phoenix

JUN 11 (SAT) “C” Butterfly Trail (5 mi. RT, 1070’ EC). This trail, high in the Santa Catalina Mtns. of Tucson, was hit by the Bullock Fire and reopened in the fall of 2003. Still a green and shady hike through enchanted old-growth forest, we’ll take it easy and enjoy observing how the forest has recovered. Call Mike Brady at 480-250-4054. Phoenix

JUN 11 (SAT) “B” Abineau Bear Jaw Loop. We will hike up the rocky and beautiful Abineau Trail from 8500’ to 10500’, crossing a recent avalanche path at the top. We’ll then do a gradually dropping traverse on the waterline road to the top of the Bear Jaw Trail and descend that through high alpine forest back to the parking lot. A talk on the sheepherding on this area in the early part of the 20th century and a discussion of avalanches on the peaks will lend an educational component. Contact Cuyler Boughner at [email protected]. Flagstaff

The Sierra Club is a nationwide organization with active local outings for members and non-members. Please join us as we make friends and explore life-enriching interests. Simply find an outing by date and contact the leader for directions, reservations, time, and additional information. RESTRICTIONS: NO FIREARMS, RADIOS, OR PETS (unless noted otherwise). Outings are by reservation. Call early (group limit 20). Each hike is rated for degree of difficulty and risk by the leader.

“A” >16 miles or > 3,000 ft. elevation change (EC)“B” 8–16 miles and 1,500–3,000 ft. EC“C” 3–8 miles, 500–1,500 ft. EC RT Round Trip“D” <3 miles and 500 ft. EC OW One Way

The trip leader has absolute authority to question trip participants as to their equipment, conditioning, and experience before and during the trip. All participants on Sierra Club outings are required to sign a standard liability waiver. If you would like to read the liability waiver before you choose to participate in an outing, please go to http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/chapter/forms or contact the National Out-ings Dept. at 415-977-5528 for a printed version. Sierra Club liability covers leaders only. Each person is responsible for his/her own first aid equipment. If you are injured, notify the leader immediately. If you leave the trip, with our without the leader’s permission, you are considered to be on your own until you rejoin the group. Hikers are encouraged to carpool and share the driver’s fuel expense. Donations are ac-cepted from all participants at $1 (member) and $3 (nonmember). Money is collected by the leader and deposited with the group treasurer. For more information, contact Beverly Full at 480-595-2306. Hikes and outings are also listed online and in the Sierra Singles newsletters. CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.

Hiking Guidelines







Sierra Service OutingsGet involved and make a difference! Join us for these exciting service outings!

Chillicut Trail Maintenance Backpack, Four Peaks Wilderness Area Saturday–Sunday, April 16–17

Contact: Jim Vaaler, 602-553-8208, [email protected]

We will camp at “lower Chillicut camp” close to a very large spring that supports a large community of riparian trees and plants. The planned work will consist of sawing/moving dead trees that have fallen across the trail above where we will be camping. Approximately 6 mi. per day and 1500’ EC. Persons wishing to participate on one of the days will be able to remove brush in a section of the trail nearer to the trailhead.

Kick Some Grass! Sunday, April 10, May 15, June 12

Contact: Steve Pawlowski, 602-254-9330, [email protected]

Help us restore habitat! Join us for an invasive weed pull and clean-up at the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area, just south of downtown Phoenix. Once a dump site, the area is now a lush riparian corridor that supports a variety of wildlife and recreation opportunities. We need help removing trash and buffelgrass, a non-native, invasive species. Snacks, drinks, gloves, and tools provided.

Trail Maintenance for Tonto National Forest, Cave Creek Ranger Station

Saturday, April 23 Contact: Gordon Chase, [email protected] Eric Norton will accompany this outing and provide direction and tools for clearing Trail #247 at the Spur Cross Trailhead. Meet at the Spur Cross parking lot (at end of Spur Cross Rd) at 8 a.m. for the 1-mi. hike to the trailhead. Bring water and lunch. The project will be completed by early afternoon.

Arizona Water SentinelsVerde River – Saturday, April 23 and June 18

San Pedro River – Thursday, May 12 Contact: Steve Pawlowski, 602-254-9330,

[email protected] your hands dirty and your feet wet with the Arizona Water Sentinels! This is a great opportunity to help protect our important rivers. Sentinels collect water samples and

also make field observations and measure the dissolved oxygen, pH, and total dissolved solids concentrations. This data helps us track impacts to the rivers and advocate for actions to protect them. What could be better than spending a day in gorgeous scenery while working to make a difference?

Sierra Club’s Birthday/Grand Canyon Service & Celebration! Friday–Monday, May 27–30

Contact: Alicyn Gitlin, 520-491-9528, [email protected] will assist with vegetation restoration on Grand Canyon’s South Rim. Join us for the full trip or arrive Friday night, if necessary. We will have exclusive use of Shoshone Point for a campfire and revelry on Sierra Club’s birthday, May 28! This trip will fill up fast!

The following are recollections from a trip to the Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson from fifth-grade students in the Outdoor Science Program at Grijalva Elementary School. As part of the Tucson Inner City Outings, the students worked with middle-school mentors from Sunnyside Audubon Student Urban Naturalists (SASUN). They learned how to use binoculars and how to identify birds as well as the benefits of using wastewater to re-energize part of the desert. The students loved the experience!

Youth at the Sweetwater Wetlands. Photo by Cheryl Walling.

“I’m an American Coot and my colors are black, white, orange, and gray. Also, my food I eat is seeds and bread. I saw10 kids and some were taking pictures. Also, I saw the mallard, Harris

hawk, and shoveler.” –Gilberto

“Today I saw ducks. I am white, brown, black, and green. I eat seeds. I like to swim and clean myself, also fly. I like to swim with my friends and family.” –Unknown

“I am a deer. What I like to eat is grass. I heard these kids yelling but I didn’t care about that. I ran so fast on the golf course.” –Angel

“Hi, I am a deer. I am going to tell you about my life and what I saw today. OK. Today I saw some kids looking at me and my family. They were screaming and jumping. Now I will tell you how I look. I am brown and have white spots. My feet are black. I have antlers. I eat grass.” –Dominic

“I am Kevin and I’m a duck. I look like a rainbow. My head is dark green. My back is white, blue, brown, and white again. Today I saw 10 kids. They were taking pictures of me. They were screaming, but I had a good time.” –Kevin

“I am a hawk that is a red tail hawk. I eat a lot of things like mouse and much more. The color I am is red tail and my body is black. I saw 10 kids and 2 adults walk and taking pictures but I still had fun.” –Emilio

Four Peaks Wilderness. Photo by Jim Vaaler.

Documents

Spring 2011 Canyon Echo