Fossil Creek Watershed and Riparian Restoration

The Fossil Creek watershed ecosystem has been drastically impacted by a diversion dam that was built in the early 1900s. The restoration of the stream course started in 1999 when Arizona Public Service (APS) signed an agreement to decommission its hydroelectric facilities along Fossil Creek. The Native Fish Renovation Project was implemented to eradicate nonnative species from the stream and help strengthen populations of native fish. A fish barrier was created, and nonnative populations were either treated with piscicide (Fintrol) or captured. Power plant facilities were deconstructed and removed to restore the flow, and the FERC required a 14-foot lowering of the diversion dame to disperse sediment naturally downstream.