Verde River Institute
We’re proud to share what we accomplished on behalf of the Verde River in 2022 with you! You can read all about our special projects and our day-to-day work in our 2022 Annual Report.
About The Verde River Institute
Our Vision is: "Connecting people and resources to promote a healthy, flowing Verde River and a stronger, greater Verde community."
Our Mission is: "Provide research and data, funding, policy expertise, education and consulting on diverse Verde River issues."
The Verde River Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to developing and facilitating the implementation of policies that help to ensure that the Verde River in central Arizona retains flows that will support sustainable, healthy and diverse economies and ecosystems.
We also help policy makers understand the many complex water resource issues in central Arizona. We are committed to finding sustainable solutions for the human and natural worlds that depend on the Verde River to supply their needs. We are guided by the principle that responses to demands in the system should also increase the river community's intellectual, political, social, individual, natural, built and financial capital. When this goal is realized, the system becomes robust, dynamic and sustainable.
1. Flows are in cubic feet per second. Normal base flow in winter is about 75 CFS, in Summer, it's about 55 CFS. Flows above 500 CFS are not recommended for inexperienced kayakers. Flows are affected by evapotranspiration, snowmelt, precipitation somewhere in the watershed, and local weather.
2. Oxygen levels below 4% are not healthy for aquatic animals.
3. pH levels should run between 6.5 and 9.0.
4. E. coli is a natural pathogen. Levels above 235 MPN (Most Probable Number) are considered unsafe by the Ariz. Dept. of Environmental Quality.
5. TDS is Total Dissolved Solids in parts per million (ppm)– the “hardness” of the water. Levels above 500 are not good to drink. Very low numbers indicate dilution by precipitation or snowmelt. Typical values run between 220 and 380 pm.
6. Phosphorus is given as total phosphorus in parts per million (ppm or ml/L). Phosphorus is a nutrient, and it generally comes from home septic systems, yards, and streamside agriculture. High levels of phosphorus can cause algal blooms or excessive aquatic plant growth
7. Turbidity is the cloudiness of the water. Levels below 50 are clear, levels over 200 are cloudy and above 1000 people might call “muddy.” In the summer, the higher the turbidity, the greater the chances of high E. coli.
8. Water temperature is affected by air temperature more than any other factor. It can vary by several degree daily as the day warms and cools. Summertime highs reach 90ºF, and winter lows can reach the mid 40's.
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10 Things to Know about the Verde River
Donate to the Verde River Institute
To make a tax-exempt donation supporting the Verde River Institute's Verde River conservation efforts, please click the "donate" button below. The Verde River Institute is a tax-exempt charitable organization under IRS section 501(c)(3).