A collaboration between The Nature Conservancy, Arizona State Parks and Trails and the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust will keep more water in the Verde River while enhancing recreational experiences at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood. Nature Conservancy officials say winter drought and ongoing concerns about how warmer and drier weather will impact the quality and quantity of the water, prompted the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust to donate more than $3 million dollars to support the Verde River projects. Partners designed and installed a recirculation system to reduce pumping from the river while keeping fishing lagoons healthy and protecting native species. The new system improves water quality and uses less water from the river. The Verde River supplies drinking water to 14 communities including more than 3 million people in the Phoenix metropolitan area, yet in recent years, the river’s flow has reached historic lows.
