Engineers with Coconino County Community Development
February 6 at 6:30 pm
At the Montoya Center
235 N Thorpe Rd
We have all seen the threat of flooding from the fire last summer and many of us helped place sandbags to prevent damage from possible flooding that occurs post-fire. What is the county’s role in flood mitigation and what are the plans going forward? John Carr and Christopher Tressler, engineers for Coconino County will give a short presentation and be able to answer questions about how the county is proceeding with flood mitigation work. Join us on February 6 at the Montoya Center to learn more.
Meet at the southwest corner of Sam’s Club parking lot at 2 pm and be prepared for icy and muddy conditions. Local habitat professionals are leading the walk to answer your questions about the site. Note that it is also groundhog day, so keep your eyes open for the elusive (and probably unwilling to look for shadows in February) prairie dog.
Help us celebrate the biodiversity of wetlands in Flagstaff along the Rio de Flag. The Rio supports several named wetlands, including the Cheshire Wetlands, Picture Canyon areas, and the I-40 Wetlands. These important habitats are great for watching wildlife and boast some of the best birding around Flagstaff. Join us for a walk on February 2 to the I-40 Wetlands to explore the habitat in winter
Wetlands are vital for human survival. They are among the world’s most productive environments; cradles of biological diversity that provide the water and productivity upon which countless species of plants and animals depend for survival. The Convention on Wetlands, the only global treaty to focus on a single ecosystem was signed in Ramsar, Iran in 1971with 171 member states, including the United States. For more information on the Ramsar Convention check out the website https://www.ramsar.org/
This year the theme for World Wetlands Day is Wetland Biodiversity Matters. Biodiversity rates are in steep decline worldwide, and wetland species are the most at risk. In less than 50 years, between 1097 and 2014 populations of fish, amphibians, birds and reptiles have declined by 60 %. This is especially alarming in Arizona where less than 10% of original riparian habitats remain.
Come and explore one of those critical habitats with us on 2/2/2020 at 2pm, and be prepared for Flagstaff’s variable weather in Feburary – muddy and icy conditions are probable. Sturdy shoes, warm clothes and hiking poles are not out of line!
Frances Short Pond with San Francisco Peaks, along the Rio de Flag, Nov. 5, 2015, Flagstaff
We wish you all a joyous New Year. In winter with short days and long nights, when snow covers the high country, it may appear that all the watershed is at rest. It is a good time to to reflect on the hard work we have done to protect and restore the Rio, and to voice our concerns and hopes for the future of Flagstaff’s watershed. Please join us on Thursday, January 2nd at the Montoya Center at 6:00-7:30 for our annual potluck! Meet members of the Board (if you haven’t already) and learn about our 2019 work on the Army Corps project and the Watershed Plan. Bring a friend and your favorite dish to share in this year’s feast
We will not be holding a regular meeting in December because the Montoya Center has closed the meeting rooms until January. We will hold our annual potluck on the first Thursday in January. Make sure to join us then for some good food and time to catch up with all that has been happening with the Rio.
Do you love the Rio, and want to help protect, restore, and improve it? Our long time board member Bryan Bates will be stepping down this year to run for County Supervisor, and we are looking for a few new board members. If you have a few hours a month and a desire to be involved, please talk to one of the board members during the potluck in January, or email Kathy Flaccus at kkflaccus@gmail.com.
Waterfall in basalt canyon of the Rio de Flag, Picture Canyon Natural and Cultural Preserve, August 10, 2015, Flagstaff, Arizona photo by Tom Bean
Join us on November 7 to hear Robert Wallace, the City’s Open Space specialist. He will be talking about the progress and plans for Picture Canyon, one of the jewels of the the Rio de Flag. Learn more about the wonderful places that Flagstaff has preserved all around town.
Sponsored by the City of Flagstaff, Sierra Club, Murdoch Center, Natural Channel Design, Be Resourceful, and the Friends of the Rio de Flag
The Rio de Flag where it was rerouted and now flows through the Southside Neighborhood.
Volunteer to Make a Difference in Flagstaff’s Southside •Rio de Flag litter clean-up • Installation of stormwater drain signs •Drawing for prizes •Family friendly event •Lunch for volunteers! Meet at the Murdoch Center. Parking is limited, consider carpooling, walking, busing or biking! Please wear sun protection and sturdy shoes. Bring your refillable water bottle. For more info, contact Maggie Twomey at mtwomey@flagstaffaz.gov (928) 213-2144
September 5 at the Montoya Center 245 N Thorpe Rd 6pm
The
recent Museum Fire has brought quite a bit of attention to Spruce
Avenue Wash, a stream that few in Flagstaff had heard about or even knew
about prior to
the fire. Spruce Avenue Wash is one of over a dozen washes that make up
88 miles of stream channel within the Flagstaff city limits. The
watersheds of these washes vary from small urban drainages to the Rio de
Flag that extents all the way to the top of the
peaks. This presentation will provide a quick overview of the
watersheds of Flagstaff including current and future work at the city to
maintain and protect the watersheds and the challenges and threats to
the stream courses. Hopefully the presentation will
provide perspective, allowing the audience to understand the need and
power of grassroots organizations like the Friends of the Rio.
Detail of the Rio de Flag Watershed Map Bandana Available at the meeting on September 5Ed Schenk, Stormwater Project Manager for City of Flagstaff talks with public duringFriends of the Rio De Flag sponsored walk to Cheshire Wetlands and Pond, May 2, 2019, Flagstaff, Arizona
Ed Schenk is a project manager with the City of Flagstaff’s Stormwater team. He has lived in Flagstaff for the last 4 years with additional hydrology and geology work at the Museum of Northern Arizona and the National Park Service. Ed was a research scientist with the USGS for the decade before moving to Arizona with river restoration experience in more than 10 states. He has a Master’s from Indiana University and over 30 publications on river, wetlands, and estuary ecosystem function.Last May Ed led a walk with the Friends of the Rio de Flag to the Cheshire Wetlands to look at the restoration potential of the Cheshire Pond.
Many thanks to the small but effective group of volunteers that helped touch up the Zuni Bowl construction site in Cheshire last Saturday. April Smith, Jenifer Lefere, Allison Lefere, and Alice Lefere all pitched in to install rock grade control in the construction bypass channel, pull weeds, rake out the spoils piles and plant native seed. These little details will help to mitigate the construction impacts and are greatly appreciated.
Other volunteers worked in Spruce Avenue Wash
A big effort was organized by Sharon Masek Lopez, with the help of Collis and others that surveyed and cleaned out trash and debris from the Spruce Ave Wash channel downstream of Rt 66 in preparation for flooding. Those folks also get a big thank you from FoRio.
Where:Corner of Boldt and Cooper in Cheshire,
just downstream of the bridge over the Rio
When:Saturday August 3, 2019 at 8:30 am until
11:30 am
What:City of Flagstaff had a contractor construct
a rock structure to stop a head cut in the Rio de Flag Channel. The contractor is done but there is a need
for some site clean up, seeding, and minor rock work. Learn about erosion
control and zuni bowl construction. Plus you will likely see water in the
creek.
How:Show
up with Gloves, sunscreen and water. We will have tools and direction on hand.
