Our Projects
One of Oak Creek Watershed Council’s most important projects is water quality sampling. Oak Creek is one of the last remaining undisturbed riparian systems in the desert southwest and is crucial habitat to many native species, along with providing thousands of visitors every year with a place to cool off and enjoy the scenic beauty of this pocket of Northern…
Soil erosion is impacting the ecological health of Oak Creek. When excessive sediment settles on the stream bottom it suffocates aquatic insects (a.k.a. benthic macroinvertebrates) that are key food prey items for fish and other wildlife. Sediment also serves as a reservoir for fecal contaminants (E. coli bacteria). Sedimentation occurs from erosion, which can be contributed to over-use of swimming…
Every gram of dog feces contains an average of 23 million E.coli bacteria, which poses a health threat for recreators swimming in Oak Creek. The PWS program identified locations within the Oak Creek corridor as potential sites for pet waste stations. While we do not know how many pets may live in or visit the Oak Creek Watershed each year,…
Stewardship Engagement In partnership with the following groups: the United States Forest Service (USFS), the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), the City of Sedona, the Arizona Community Foundation, and the National Forest Foundation; Oak Creek Ambassadors have monitored heavily-used recreation sites. They’ve made a positive impact by talking to visitors, picking up trash, human and dog waste, monitoring water…
In partnership with the City of Sedona, OCWC hosts cleanup events that encourage residents of the greater Sedona area to learn about stormwater pollution, the sub-basins and watersheds within the Oak Creek Watershed and Sedona area, and how they can play an important role in protecting Oak Creek. Here are some steps you can take to ensure you do not…
Because of COVID-19, we are seeing massive increases in visitors fleeing to the creek and Sedona trails, which means increases in littering and habitat degradation, significantly impacting the fragile riparian ecosystem. And it’s an eye-sore! Our small team is working tirelessly to pick-up after visitors, so that creek sites are pristine upon their arrival, hopefully encouraging them to leave it…
Take a look at water quality trends in Oak Creek and Fossil Creek in 2018 and 2019. Oak Creek Ambassador Emma Harries took on writing this comprehensive report as her capstone project for her undergraduate studies. We are so excited to share this report with you and could not be more proud of Emma. View the report here.
Take a look at water quality trends in Oak Creek in 2020. This summary report was made possible by support from the Sedona Chamber of Commerce under the Sedona Sustainable Tourism Plan Tactic A2.3. View the report below.
Welcome! Virtually view our educational brochure. Learn more about the issues that are threatening the health of the watershed and how you can help! Created by tmsr Design Delivery in collaboration with Oak Creek Watershed Council and Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. This brochure was funded by grants from ADEQ and EPA.
In partnership with the Sedona Chamber of Commerce, OCWC hosts cleanup events that encourage visitors to the greater Sedona area to “give back” while learning about the geology, ecology, and other issues pertinent to the watershed. By participating in these events, visitors can visit scenic areas along Oak Creek, red rock country, and northern Arizona forests while making a positive…
Saturday, September 17 REGISTER TODAY! The Coconino National Forest, National Forest Foundation, Oak Creek Watershed Council, and the Arizona Dept. of Environmental Quality invite you to Pickin’ Up in the Pines! Join us to clean up camping areas in the forests that are the headwaters of Oak Creek canyon. In advance of major holiday weekends, get outside, clean up trash,…
Oak Creek flows through a beautiful canyon along Highway 89A between Flagstaff and Sedona and is a popular destination for recreation. The creek is a tributary to the Verde River, which feeds into the Salt River, itself providing water to millions of people living in and around Phoenix. Oak Creek is one of the few perennial streams in Arizona’s high…
Take a look at water quality trends in Oak Creek in 2021. This summary report was made possible by support from the City of Sedona in partnership with the Sedona Sustainable Tourism Plan Tactic A2.3. View the report below.
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Happy Wildlife Wednesday! Last week we met a beautiful gopher snake while out collecting water samples. Gopher snakes are a generalist species, which means they survive and thrive in a wide variety of habitats. This has made them one of the most widespread reptile species in North America! Often mistaken at first glance for a rattlesnake, these snakes are non-venomous and do not pose a serious threat to hikers or dogs. As with all wildlife, admire them from a distance and remember that this is their home!
Did you know that urban pollution has significant impacts on our waterways? This is true in Sedona and Oak Creek, too.
In urban and suburban areas, a lot of the land surface is covered by buildings and pavement, which prevents rain and snowmelt from soaking into the ground. Most developed areas rely on storm drains to carry runoff from roofs and paved areas to nearby waterways. But, the stormwater runoff carries pollutants such as oil, dirt, chemicals, and lawn fertilizers directly to streams and rivers, where they seriously harm water quality. To protect surface water quality and groundwater resources, development should be designed and built to minimize increases in runoff.
#cityofsedona #oakcreek #keepoakcreekclean #waterpollution #stormwater
#runoff
Many thanks to our friends at Northern Arizona Audubon Society for helping with our inaugural “plirding” outing! We picked up 12.6 pounds of litter while enjoying over two dozen species of local and migratory birds. #birding #littercleanup #keepoakcreekclean #keepoakcreekbeautiful
We’re all set up to celebrate #EarthDay2023 with all of our outdoorsy, environmental pals, including our hosts, @azstateparks
Thank you volunteers! This morning these amazing people called over 80 pounds of litter from the roadside of 89A north of Sedona 😍.
It’s highway cleanup time! OCWC stewards a two-mile stretch of Highway 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff (mile markers 392-394, to be exact). Today we’ll leave it better than we found it, thanks to the efforts of our hardworking volunteers. 😎☀️ #volunteers #littercleanup #cleanandbeautiful #safetyfirst @arizona_dot
In just a few hours today, these amazing volunteers from #SedonaWomen removed 41.6 pounds of trash from the Oak Creek watershed! Among the items collected were articles of clothing, a walkie-talkie, a lost Croc sandal, bottles and cans, and plenty of microtrash and food waste. We focused our efforts at Indian Gardens, Grasshopper Point, Encinoso Picnic Area, the Manzanita day use pullout, and the associated creek accesses at each location. Thank you volunteers for helping to preserve the health and integrity of Oak Creek.
It’s litter cleanup day in Oak Creek Canyon! Many thanks to our wonderful volunteers from the community group, #SedonaWomen. #keepoakcreekclean #leavenotrace
Did you know as few as 25 passes can be enough to create a new trail? In a busy place like Oak Creek, that can happen quickly. New trails can disrupt wildlife's habitat, damage plantlife, and increase erosion which results in a less healthy creek system. We can all #KeepOakCreekClean by sticking to trails and roadways.
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#SedonaCares #AppreciateAZ #LeaveNoTraceSedona #SustainableSedona
#StickToTrails🥾
Thanks so much to the members of the NAU SAFE club for coming out to Sunset Park and Carroll Canyon yesterday morning to help us pick up trash! Together we removed 68.55lbs of trash from the watershed to help #KeepOakCreekClean ! Some major items we picked up were rusty metal pieces, dog balls, glass, styrofoam, and plastic bottles, bags, & wrappers. Let’s keep the cleanup momentum going into the busy summer creek season! 🚮🗑️🌱💦
Thanks to everyone that supported Oak Creek Watershed Council during this week’s Arizona Gives Day!
Unrestricted contributions fuel the watershed council’s growth and ability to engage creek users throughout the year. We have big-time aspirations beyond our funded projects to keep Oak Creek free of litter and pet waste. Your continued support will help turn our dreams of educating, advocating, and building a strong network of Oak Creek Caretakers into a reality.
If you didn’t get a chance to donate on Tuesday, you can always make a gift through our website! Link in bio.
#AZGivesDay #OakCreekCaretakers #KeepOakCreekClean #Sedona #OakCreek
Did you know as few as 25 passes can be enough to create a new trail? In a busy place like Oak Creek, that can happen quickly. New trails can disrupt wildlife's habitat, damage plantlife, and increase erosion which results in a less healthy creek system. We can all #KeepOakCreekClean by sticking to trails and roadways.
#SedonaCares #AppreciateAZ #LeaveNoTraceSedona #SustainableSedona
Thank you to our wonderful Bookmans volunteers for coming down to Oak Creek Canyon this morning to pick up trash! Together we removed about 50lbs of trash from the watershed by picking up at pullouts along 89A. What a beautiful day to hang out and #KeepOakCreekClean 🌱 Great work Bookmans crew! 💪🏼
Neotropical birds like Painted Redstarts (pic 1) and Red-faced Warblers (pic 2) are species that return to Oak Creek Canyon every spring to breed and raise young. A gift on #AZGivesDay supports growing partnerships like the one between #OakCreekWatershedCouncil and @nazaudubon, which raises awareness for the connection between biodiversity and watershed health.
Register today to join OCWC staff and members of the birding community on Sunday, April 23, for a combined #birding and litter clean-up event! Link in bio. 😎🐦🦅🦆
Thanks to the generosity of three #OakCreekCaretakers, we're already more than 20% of the way towards reaching our fundraising goal for #AZGiveDay. Your contributions during this statewide day of giving will ensure that we continue to be engaged in monitoring the health and integrity of Oak Creek!
📷: OCWC Technicians, Nate and Cassidy, work with partners from @azdeqgov to prepare water samples for E. coli testing, summer 2022.
TOMORROW, April 4, is #AZGivesDay and we're asking all of our faithful followers and watershed warriors here on Insta to consider making a gift in support of a #cleanandbeautiful Oak Creek. Donate via the link in our bio.
La basura dura más de lo que piensas. Una cáscara de naranja puede durar hasta 2 años, mientras que una lata de aluminio dura entre 80 y 100 años, y el plástico nunca desaparece por completo. Haz tu parte para mantener limpio Oak Creek (#KeepOakCreekClean) empacando la basura cada vez que visites la cuenca.
¿Quieres dar un paso más? Únase a un evento de voluntariado local de #AZ o traiga una bolsa y recoja la basura que encuentre para no dejar rastro (#LeaveNoTrace).
Obtenga más información e involúcrese en: bit.ly/OakCreekCaretaker
#CuidaElAmbiente #SedonaCares #AppreciateAZ #LeaveNoTraceSedona #SustainableSedona
Thanks so much to the 20+ volunteers who came out to Oak Creek today to help Oak Creek Watershed Council pick up trash! We cleaned up below Cave Springs campground, below Manzanita campground, at Encinoso Day Use Area, and at Indian Gardens cafe. Together we picked up 100 pounds of trash including a tire, a piece of rusty metal, 2 diapers, some glass, 2 dog poops, plastics, and food trash. Most of this was washed onto the banks by the recent flooding of Oak Creek. Big shout out to the NAU Green Jacks club for volunteering their Saturday morning to help #KeepOakCreekClean ! #sedona #oakcreek #leavenotrace #pickupyourtrash #volunteers #watershedmanagement