Fossil Creek is a perennial

Perennial stream

A perennial stream or perennial river is a stream or river that has continuous flow in parts of its bed all year round during years of normal rainfall. "Perennial" streams are contrasted with "intermittent" streams which normally cease flowing for weeks or months each year, and with "ephemeral"...

 river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 in central Arizona, located near the community of Strawberry

Strawberry, Arizona

Strawberry is a census-designated place in Gila County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,028 at the 2000 census.-History:In June 1931, federal agents destroyed a large whiskey still in Sandrock Canyon, north of Strawberry. The still had an estimated worth of $20,000...

. The headwaters of the creek begin at Fossil Springs, a rare and powerful spring in Arizona, which produces upwards of one million gallons of water per hour.

Discovery

Fossil Creek first appeared on maps in Arizona dating to the 1860s, although its discovery was likely much earlier, due to trapper activity in the region. Arizona Territory's first governor, John Noble Goodwin

John Noble Goodwin

John Noble Goodwin was a United States attorney and politician who served as the first Governor of Arizona Territory...

, passed through the region in the 1860s, at which time the creek was already known by its present name due to abundant "petrifications" along the stream bed. This rock formation, now known as travertine

Travertine

Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...

, is caused by high levels of calcium carbonate

Calcium carbonate

Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the formula CaCO3. It is a common substance found in rocks in all parts of the world, and is the main component of shells of marine organisms, snails, coal balls, pearls, and eggshells. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in agricultural lime,...

 in the water, which causes large, fossil-like rock growth. At the turn of the century, flow from the springs into the creek was estimated between 40 cuft/s, which emerged from the ground at a constant 72 °F (22.2 °C).

Harnessing the river

By 1900, Lew Turner, a rancher in the Verde Valley

Verde Valley

The Verde Valley is a valley in central Arizona in the United States of America. The Verde River runs through it. It is overlooked by Mingus Mountain and the Mogollon Rim.- History :The first notice of this region appears in the report of one Espejo,...

, had claimed water rights on Fossil Creek. Plans were put into place to use the creek to generate electricity for the surrounding towns and mining operations. By 1909, construction had begun on a powerplant near Childs, Arizona under the authority of the Arizona Power Company (now Arizona Public Service

Arizona Public Service

Arizona Public Service Company is the largest electric utility in Arizona and the principal subsidiary of publicly-traded S&P 500 member Pinnacle West Capital Corporation , which in turn had been formerly named AZP Group, when Arizona Public Service reorganized as that holding company in 1985.With...

).
It has a healthy native fish community and a diverse native plant community above the diversion dam, but the 14 miles (22.5 km) of river downstream are affected from reduced flows. The return of full creek flow will cause large travertine deposits that create fish habitat, as the creek did prior to the dam’s construction.

In 2006, the power plant was closed by APS.

Reintroduction of native fish—including speckled dace

Speckled dace

The speckled dace , also known as the spotted dace and the carpita pinta, is a member of the carp family. It is found in temperate freshwater in North America, from Sonora to British Columbia....

, roundtail chub

Roundtail chub

The roundtail chub is a cyprinid fish of the Colorado River drainage, including the Gila River and the Rio Yaqui in western North America, part of the “robusta complex”, which includes the Gila robusta robusta, G.r. grahami, and G.r...

s, Sonora sucker

Sonora Sucker

The Sonora Sucker, Catostomus insignis, is a medium-sized catostomid fish with 16 other species in the genus scattered throughout North America. This species is remarkably similar in appearance to the Yaqui sucker ....

s and desert sucker

Desert sucker

Catostomus clarki, the Desert Sucker or Gila Mountain Sucker is a freshwater species of fish in the sucker family that lives in the Great Basin and the Colorado River Basin.-Description:...

s—are integral to the stream restoration process. To prepare for the reintroduction, exotic fish were removed from the creek to maximize native fish survival.

Wild and Scenic River

President Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

 signed legislation designating Fossil Creek as a Wild and Scenic River on March 30, 2009, after a long campaign by the Arizona Nature Conservancy.

External links

• "Fossil Creek is a natural" at the Arizona Republic
• The Hidden Treasures of Fossil Creek and Fossil Springs Canyon, Arizona
• Fossil Creek Watershed and Riparian Restoration at Northern Arizona University
  Northern Arizona University
  Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...