The Verde and the San Pedro rivers are the subject of lawsuits filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club and other conservation groups. In Part 1 of this series, Cronkite News explored the impact cattle have had on the Verde River. For the final installment, Cronkite News looks at the health of the San Pedro, one of the few undammed rivers in the Southwest.
The first time Sandy Bahr saw the San Pedro River, she thought someone had gotten the name wrong.
“I thought, ‘Well, that’s not a river,’” said Bahr, who came to Arizona from Michigan about 30 years ago. “That’s like more of a little creek.”
It didn’t take long for Bahr to realize the importance this desert stream holds for the state.
“For me, personally, it represents just how precious water is in a dry place like Arizona, and just how much life it supports,” she said.