September 11, 2006
A River Reborn: The Restoration of Fossil Creek
On Saturday, September 23 residents of the Flagstaff area are invited to attend a special preview screening of a major work in progress, a documentary titled A River Reborn. Two years in the making, the public television production tells the inspiring story of the restoration of Fossil Creek in central Arizona. Major portions of the production will be screened, including ones featuring faculty and students from Northern Arizona University. The special preview screening of completed portions of the documentary will take place at 7:00 pm in the Cline Library Assembly Hall at Northern Arizona University. Paul Bockhorst and Jane Marks will be present to talk about Fossil Creek and the production of the documentary. A River Reborn will air on KAET Arizona Public Television and other PBS stations around the country in late 2006 or early 2007.
Fossil Creek is among the brightest jewels of Arizona’s Rim Country. It stands out as one of the last free-flowing, year-around streams in Arizona, a magnificent ribbon of life in the high desert. Fossil Creek is even more important because it is the site of the first decommissioning of a hydroelectric facility in the state of Arizona. It is also the site of one of the most significant watershed-level restoration efforts ever undertaken in the Southwest.
The documentary recounts both the natural and human history of the scenic waterway. It introduces scientists who have studied Fossil Creek’s outstanding biological and geological features, environmental advocates who have fought for its restoration, federal and state resource managers who are working to establish it as a refuge for threatened native fish, and officials at Arizona Public Service, the utility that ran the hydroelectric facility for a century and voluntarily agreed to shut it down and remove the existing infrastructure.
The story of Fossil Creek’s restoration is emblematic of a far-reaching change in our understanding of rivers and dams. Today, people in the Southwest and in all parts of the country are reassessing the use of precious water resources. They are seeking to balance the fulfillment of human needs with protection of the natural systems that support human life. This includes the safeguarding of rare, threatened, and endangered species of plants and animals. Fossil Creek is a focal point for this reassessment, and it reveals both the challenges and opportunities associated with riparian restoration.
One of the most remarkable features of the Fossil Creek story is the fact that the decision to decommission the hydroelectric facilities was reached without litigation. A number of private environmental organizations, state and federal agencies, and Arizona Public Service reached a comprehensive agreement through constructive engagement and dialogue. The result is a notable “win-win” settlement that is worthy of wide attention, especially at a time when debates over environmental protection are more often characterized by friction and heat than by reason and light. Fossil Creek provides a rare and encouraging case study in the cooperative resolution of environmental controversies.
The story of Fossil Creek is also noteworthy for the important role played by science in the decision to decommission. Jane Marks, a stream ecologist at NAU, tells viewers that, “When I came on board, there was already one report on the table that was done by an environmental consulting firm that suggested that full flows would actually be detrimental, that it would hurt native fish. And so they hired me, and I put together a team of scientists—graduate students and colleagues at Northern Arizona University—to evaluate what would be the effects of returning full flow on native fish, on the insects, on some of the threatened, endangered species.”
Original research in the watershed conducted by scientists from Northern Arizona University demonstrated the negative impact of the dam and water diversion on threatened and endangered species of native fish, and it also predicted the recovery of those populations after decommissioning and the restoration of full flow. Ongoing scientific research is also a critical component of the adaptive management model being used by state and federal agencies with management responsibilities in the Fossil Creek watershed. Experience gained at Fossil Creek shows that good science is an indispensable ingredient in wise management.
A River Reborn is a joint project of Northern Arizona University and the Museum of Northern Arizona. The one-hour documentary is being produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Paul Bockhorst. It was photographed by Emmy Award-winning videographer Douglas Crawford. Support for the production comes from the National Science Foundation, the USDI Bureau of Reclamation, and the Heritage Program of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, with additional funding from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, the Merriam Powell Center for Environmental Research at NAU, and the Ecological Restoration Institute, also at NAU.
The documentary is narrated by the actor Ted Danson, who grew up in Flagstaff. In his narration, Danson says that, “The Fossil Creek story provides a beacon of hope and an inspiring model for the restoration of degraded streams and waterways.” Danson also tells viewers that, “Even now, as a work in progress, Fossil Creek stands out as one of the most important and promising environmental restoration projects in the history of the American Southwest.”
For further information on the marketing and distribution of A River Reborn and related educational materials, please contact:
Dr. Stefan Sommer, Executive Producer, A River Reborn
Director of Education, Merriam-Powell Center, Northern Arizona University
(928) 523-4463 / Stefan.Sommer@nau.edu