Prescott Creeks In the News

Media Coverage

09 July 2021 – Granite Creek Corridor Plan aims to make downtown asset more visible, usable

Granite Creek improvements that are already in the works will make the downtown-Prescott creek bed and the trail that fronts it safer and more attractive. The City of Prescott has been working for months on ways to make local residents and visitors feel more comfortable using the shady creek’s paths as a transportation route through the downtown. Construction is scheduled to begin in September on a number of improvements.  Click above to read online, or click here to download a PDF copy of the Courier article.

11 February 2020 – Experts discuss contamination in Yavapai County Creeks

Although cleanliness of creeks varies from day to day depending on many different variables, according to experts, the creeks in Yavapai County are polluted, which in turn makes the lakes polluted. Historically, waterways have been at the center of urban development because clean water is the source of life. So when the bodies of water are polluted throughout a city, it affects all of the inhabitants.

09 October 2019 – The Daily Courier – Invasion: Protectors of Prescott’s watersheds wary of non-native plants

Prescott Creeks Executive Director Michael Byrd spreads native grass seed in an area of Watson Woods that was previously covered in periwinkle, while Prescott Creeks volunteer John Mangimeli loosens the soil with a pickaxe on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019. Click above to read online, or click here to download a PDF copy of the Courier article.

25 February 2019 – The Daily Courier – New Miller Creek-Area Restroom Aims to Improve Creek, Community Health

Not only will a new public bathroom along Miller Creek offer a convenient rest stop for users of Prescott’s popular Greenways Trails, it is also expected to improve water quality in the polluted
creek. Click above, or here, to read a copy of the Courier article.

19 October 2018 – The Daily Courier – Environmental Film Festival Celebrates Protection Rivers
Friends of the Verde River has partnered with Prescott Creeks and Citizen’s Water Advocacy Group (CWAG) to present the Wild & Scenic Film Festival to the Elks Theatre and performing Arts Center as well as at the Cliff Castle Casino Hotel in Camp Verde. The Wild & Scenic Film Festival, which was started by the South Yuba River Citizens… Click above to read the article on the Daily Courier website or, click here to download a PDF copy.

09 August 2018 – Camp Verde Bugle – Page Springs Cellars Supports Non-Profits
Eric and Gayle Glomski of Page Springs Cellars presented a $20,000 check to three regional nonprofits in a ceremony at Page Springs Cellars in Cornville Wednesday. Prescott Creeks Preservation Association, Friends of the Verde River, and Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters were beneficiaries of the 2018 Tilted Earth Festival Silent Auction.

09 August 2018 – Sedona.Biz – Tilted Earth Festival Supports Kids and the Environment
Eric and Gayle Glomski of Page Springs Cellars presented a $20,000 check to three regional nonprofits in a ceremony held August 7th at Page Springs Cellars in Cornville. Prescott Creeks Preservation Association, Friends of the Verde River, and Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters were beneficiaries of the 2018 Tilted Earth Festival Silent Auction.

18 July 2018 – The Daily Courier – Recent Donations Help Prescott Creeks Rebound from Devastating December Fire
When fire destroyed Prescott Creek’s log-cabin offices late last year, much of the organization’s supplies and equipment went with it. That meant that the organization whose mission, in part, is to manage the bird sanctuary of Watson Woods was left without the field-work basics: binoculars and scopes, as well as camera equipment, GPS units, and field guides.

15 July 2018 – The Daily Courier – Prescott’s Greenways are Scenic, But Do Residents Want to Use Them?
Foreboding, seedy, inhospitable. These are just a few of the negatives used this past week to describe one of downtown-Prescott’s most prominent features — its creeks. At the same time, local residents and community leaders also appear to agree that the winding, shady creek beds should be a strength for the downtown. Other words that have come up in the discussions have included “asset” and “unlimited potential.”

04 April 2018 – The Daily Courier – Prescott Creeks Holds Annual Cleanup Event Saturday
More than 500 friends and neighbors plan to clean up creeks, lakes and trails to celebrate local waterways and natural places. To participate in the event, set for Saturday, April 21, register at the website — www.PrescottCreeks.org/Cleanup.

14 January 2018 – The Daily Courier – We Can All Be Leaders
When we think of leadership, the images that come most readily to mind may be a business owner poring over financial statements or perhaps a 5-star General directing strategy over a table-top model of the battle field. We might think of the President conferring with his advisors in the Oval Office or a police chief dispatching his lieutenants out to the city streets to deal with a crime spree. These images of leadership have one thing in common: leaders who are at least one step, and likely many more, away from the frontlines of the activities they are directing.

22 December 2017 – The Daily Courier – Prescott Creeks Works to Pick Up the Pieces after Fire Destroys Log-Cabin Office
For nearly 60 years, the rustic log cabin has stood as a landmark along Highway 89, blending pleasantly into the nearby Watson Woods. And for four of those years, the Prescott Creeks organization has tapped into that atmosphere, operating its creek-advocacy organization from the two-story cabin.

11 December 2017 – The Daily Courier – Fire Destroys Log Cabin: Shuts Down Highway 89
A log cabin converted to an office along Highway 89 in Prescott caught fire Sunday morning, Dec. 10, setting off a prolonged battle to extinguish it, said Don Devendorf, Prescott Fire division chief, but then it caught fire again, Monday morning.

17 February 2017 – The Daily Courier – New RV park planned for land adjacent to Watson Woods
Watson Woods, Prescott’s high-profile riparian area along Highway 89, is slated to get a new neighbor soon: a 71-unit RV park. In a unanimous decision Thursday, Feb. 16, the Prescott Board of Adjustment approved a conditional use permit for the Watson Woods RV Resort.

13 December 2016 – Prescott eNews – Live Update of Prescott City Council
Presentation of the City’s Stormwater Management Program, Federal and State rules, and current and future program activities…Documenting reductions in pollutant loads, working with Prescott Creeks and ADEQ.

05 December 2016 – The Daily Courier – Prescott Creeks seasonal greeting cards now available
Prescott Creeks is once again offering Seasonal Greeting Cards showcasing the beauty of the local landscape. Carrying on a tradition started by Friends of J.S. Acker Park, this year’s cards feature a classic winter scene, “Sierra Prieta Fresh Snow,” taken by local photographer Aaron Burrows, with a wintry view of Thumb Butte and the mountains surrounding Prescott.

27 October 2016 – The Daily Courier – Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters and Prescott Creeks share Festival Auction proceeds
Prescott Creeks and Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters were the recipients of a generous contribution from the producers of the 2016 Tilted Earth Festival. As co-organizers of the Festival’s silent and online auction, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Prescott Creeks were on-hand at a check presentation ceremony held Oct. 18 at Page Springs Cellars in Cornville. The regional nonprofits look forward to putting the contribution to good work supporting kids and the environment throughout the Verde River Watershed.

06 September 2016 – The Daily Courier – Prescott Creeks, tribe partner to improve water quality in Slaughterhouse Gulch
PRESCOTT – With a busy state highway cutting through it, and shopping areas surrounding it, the Slaughterhouse Gulch drainage system faces some major challenges. Runoff water regularly drains from the area along Highway 69 into Granite Creek and, ultimately, Watson Lake. With that runoff comes more than just water. For years, Watson Lake has been listed as an “impaired” body of water for its levels of nutrient pollutants. More recently, the Granite Creek watershed also was listed as impaired for its high levels of E. coli bacteria….

18 August 2016 – Prescott eNews – Bill’s Newscast: Roadwork, Water, City Manager
Improved water quality is the goal of the Prescott Creeks and Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe partnership.
The Prescott Creeks organization is partnering with the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe to improve water quality. A joint project will occur at Slaughterhouse Gulch on the Tribal Reservation. The Gulch drains to Granite Creek and Watson Lake, which have been designated as impaired water bodies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The project aims to reduce sediment, e-coli bacteria and nutrients traveling downstream. Methods to be used include stream channel restoration, wetland protection and planting native vegetation. Sixty percent of the expenses, or more than 374 thousand dollars is funded through an Arizona Department of Environmental Quality grant. Prescott Creeks, the Yavapai-Prescott Tribe and the Upper Verde River Watershed Protection Coalition will contribute the remaining 40 percent of the project.

14 July 2014 – The Daily Courier – Prescott Creeks recognizes Decision Point Center’s volunteer assistance
PRESCOTT – Prescott Creeks, a local nonprofit organization with the mission to achieve healthy watersheds and clean waters in central Arizona, held an awards celebration June 27 to recognize its community volunteers. Among the top honorees was Decision Point Center, a substance abuse treatment facility for adults recovering from drug and alcohol abuse and addiction.

We’ve previously reported on conservation efforts for the American Kestrel in the greater Prescott area – an informal partnership with Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) and the Prescott Audubon Society (PAS). The American Kestrel is North America’s smallest falcon – and its most colorful with males featuring striking orange and blue feathers on their wings contrasting with dark barring and white accents. “Although widespread, North American Breeding Bird Surveys show that there are 66 percent fewer kestrels on the continent than in 1966, and many other long-term studies echo this decline.”[3] In 2016, Prescott Creeks coordinated with AZGFD and PAS to install multiple next boxes in the Preserve. That year saw Kestrels occupying three boxes. Since that time no boxes in the Preserve have been utilized by Kestrels presumably due to drought and poor prey conditions within the Preserve. The upshot is that other boxes in the area are being used. In fact, this year, one nest box is being used by a banded male (a fledgling from one of the 2020 program boxes) and his mate! As we cheer-on this pair, we’re keeping a hopeful watch for Kestrels in the Preserve. Please let us know if you see any!

Press Releases

22 March 2022 – GRANITE CREEK CLEANUP – APRIL 23, 2022

Join almost 500 of your friends and neighbors by volunteering to clean up a reach of creek, park, or trail. Get outside and get dirty while making a difference. Now in its 15th year under Prescott Creeks leadership approximately 6,500 participants have removed over 50 tons of trash and debris from Prescott area waterways, trails, and natural areas.

Read the full release: 20220322 Granite Creek Cleanup Press Release

20 October 2020 – Public Restroom Collaborative to Improve Surface Water Quality

Representatives from Prescott Creeks, the Coalition for Compassion and Justice (CCJ), the City of Prescott, the Butte Creek Restoration Council at Prescott College, and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) recently met to discuss the importance of the Miller Creek Public Restroom to surface water quality and to the community. The public restroom was constructed in February of 2019 and opened for use in April of 2019. With major grant funding, ADEQ acknowledged that the Miller Creek Public Restroom project represents an innovative approach to water quality improvement involving a diverse group of partners.

Read the full release: 20201020 Public Restroom to Improve… Press Release

16 March 2020 – Public Restroom Collaborative/Water Quality Event to be Rescheduled

Due to concerns about coronavirus and COVID-19 Prescott Creeks has cancelled the press event scheduled for this Thursday. While this public restroom project represents an important community achievement, Prescott Creeks believes that exercising extreme caution and following CDC recommendations is the best course of action at this uncertain time. Pending developments with the coronavirus and COVID-19 crisis, Prescott Creeks will coordinate with its partners to reschedule this event and provide notification to the public.

Read the full release: 20200316-CANCEL-Public-Restroom-Press-Release.pdf

28 February 2020 – Public Restroom Collaborative to Improve Surface Water Quality

On March 19th Prescott Creeks and project partners will discuss the importance of the Miller Creek Public Restroom to surface water quality and to the community. The Restroom was constructed in February of 2019 and opened for use in April of 2019. With major funding from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), the Miller Creek Public Restroom project represents an innovative approach to water quality improvement involving a diverse group of partners. The public is invited to attend:

3/19/2020 | from 1 – 2:30 pm | Miller Creek Public Restroom | 531 Madison Ave., Prescott AZ 86301

Read the full release: 20200227 Public Bathroom to Improve… Press Release

11 February 2019 – Public Bathroom to Improve Surface Water Quality

Downtown Prescott features multiple flowing creeks. However, the surface water quality of those creeks has been listed as “impaired” (polluted) for well over a decade. Miller Creek was targeted by local stakeholders for a water quality improvement project. Prescott Creeks brought together the Coalition for Compassion and Justice (CCJ), the City of Prescott, and the Butte Creek Restoration Council at Prescott College to install a publicly accessible bathroom adjacent to Miller Creek on Madison Avenue. Major funding for the project was secured from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality – Water Quality Improvement Grants Program (ADEQ) with matching contributions from each partner.

Read the full release: 20190211 Public Bathroom to Improve Surface Water Quality Press Release

13 September 2018 – Prescott Creeks Celebrates the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act with Environmental Film Festival

Prescott Creeks is excited to join with the South Yuba River Citizen’s League to bring the Wild & Scenic Film Festival to central Arizona in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. Arizona has approximately 90,373 miles of river, of which 57.3 miles are designated as wild & scenic—less than 1/10th of 1% of the state’s river miles. Sections of the Verde River and Fossil Creek are the only two Wild & Scenic designations in Arizona.

Read the full release: 20180913 Wild & Scenic Film Festival Press Release

6 July 2018 – International & Local Companies Conspire to Support Creeks

Vortex Optics, Jay’s Bird Barn, and their customers joined efforts to support the local watershed group Prescott Creeks with cash and product donations! At the end of May, Ryan Crouse, Operations Manager at Jay’s Bird Barn, reached out to the Prescott Creeks Executive Director, Michael Byrd, to let him know they’d collected donations from their customers on behalf of Prescott Creeks and that they could be picked up any time. While chatting with Crouse, Byrd inquired about pricing for binoculars, spotting scopes, and associated equipment. These items still needed to be replaced after they were destroyed in a devastating fire that consumed the Prescott Creeks office in December last year. After hearing about the Prescott Creeks need from Crouse, the Vortex representative offered to replace the Prescott Creeks equipment in full and at no charge.

Read the full release: 20180706 Vortex Optics & Jay’s Bird Barn Press Release

16 April 2018 – Granite Creek Cleanup Coming April 21

Prescott Creeks will be hosting the annual Granite Creek Cleanup Saturday, April 21. In what has become a rite-of-spring event in Prescott, the Cleanup brings out over 500 friends and neighbors to clean up our creeks, lakes, and trails and to celebrate our community’s waterways and natural places. Now in its 12th year under Prescott Creeks’ leadership, the Granite Creek Cleanup’s approximately 5,000 participants have removed over 46 tons of waste materials from Prescott waterways, trails, and natural areas.

Read the full release: 20180416 Granite Creek Cleanup Press Release

19 December 2017 – Prescott Creeks Endures Log Cabin Office Fire

On December 10th and 11th, 2017 the Prescott Creeks office located in the historic log cabin located at 1801 N. State Route 89 was consumed by fire. Most importantly: 1) No one was hurt during the fire. 2) Prescott Fire Department crews contained the fire to just the one building. Watson Woods Riparian Preserve did NOT burn. 3) While incurring a near-total loss, Prescott Creeks is here and operational! They do need your help getting back to full speed and refocused on advancement of its mission. Please see details here on how to help.

Read the full release: 20171218 Prescott Creeks Office Fire Press Release

21 March 2017 – Granite Creek Cleanup Coming April 22

Prescott Creeks will be hosting the annual Granite Creek Cleanup Saturday, April 22. In what has become a rite of‐spring event in Prescott, the Cleanup brings out over 500 friends and neighbors to clean up our creeks, lakes, and trails and to celebrate our community’s waterways and natural places. Now in its 11th year under Prescott Creeks’ leadership, Granite Creek Cleanup participants have removed over 43 tons of waste materials from Prescott waterways, trails, and natural areas. As Cleanup participation continues to grow, Prescott Creeks is expanding this year’s Cleanup offerings to include a variety of beautification and restoration activities.

Read the full release: 20170321 Granite Creek Cleanup Press Release

15 November 2016 – Prescott Creeks Seasonal Greeting Cards Now Available

Prescott Creeks is once again offering Seasonal Greeting Cards showcasing the beauty of our local landscape. Carrying on a tradition started by Friends of J.S. Acker Park, this year’s cards feature a classic winter scene, “Sierra Prieta Fresh Snow,” taken by local photographer Aaron Burrows, with a wintry view of Thumb Butte and the mountains surrounding Prescott.

Read the full release: 20161115 Seasonal Card Press Release

16 August 2016 – Prescott Creeks and Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe Partner to Improve Water Quality – Slaughterhouse Gulch Project to Restore Local Stream and Wetland

Prescott Creeks and the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe (YPIT) have announced plans to protect, restore, and improve surface water quality through a joint project in Slaughterhouse Gulch on the Tribal Reservation. Slaughterhouse Gulch drains to Granite Creek and the Watson Lake Reservoir – both designated as impaired waterbodies by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The project seeks to reduce sediment, E. coli bacteria, and nutrients traveling downstream.

Read the full release: 20160816 PCrks_Slaughterhouse_Announcemt

We’ve previously reported on conservation efforts for the American Kestrel in the greater Prescott area – an informal partnership with Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) and the Prescott Audubon Society (PAS). The American Kestrel is North America’s smallest falcon – and its most colorful with males featuring striking orange and blue feathers on their wings contrasting with dark barring and white accents. “Although widespread, North American Breeding Bird Surveys show that there are 66 percent fewer kestrels on the continent than in 1966, and many other long-term studies echo this decline.”[3] In 2016, Prescott Creeks coordinated with AZGFD and PAS to install multiple next boxes in the Preserve. That year saw Kestrels occupying three boxes. Since that time no boxes in the Preserve have been utilized by Kestrels presumably due to drought and poor prey conditions within the Preserve. The upshot is that other boxes in the area are being used. In fact, this year, one nest box is being used by a banded male (a fledgling from one of the 2020 program boxes) and his mate! As we cheer-on this pair, we’re keeping a hopeful watch for Kestrels in the Preserve. Please let us know if you see any!

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