Fossil Creek

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Fossil Creek is a perennial river in central Arizona. The headwaters of the creek begin at Fossil Springs, a rare and powerful spring in Arizona, which produces upwards of one million gallons of water per hour.

1 Discovery
2 Harnessing the River
3 Return to Nature
4 Trails

[edit] Discovery

Fossil Creek first appeared on maps in Arizona dating to the 1860's, although its discovery was likely much earlier to trapper activity in the region. Arizona Territory's first governor, John Noble Goodwin passed through the region in the 1860's, at which time the creek was already known by its present name due to abundant "petrifications" along the stream bed. This rock formation, now known as travertine, is caused by high levels of calcium carbonate in the water, which causes large, fossil-like rock growth. At the turn of the century, flow from the springs into the creek was estimated between 40 and 48 cubic feet per second, which emerged from the ground at a constant 72 degrees Farhenheit

[edit] Harnessing the River

By 1900, Lew Turner, a rancher in the Verde Valley, had claimed water rights on Fossil Creek. Plans were put into place to use the creek to generate electricity for the surrounding towns and mining operations. By 1909, construction had begun on a powerplant near Childs, Arizona under the authority of the Arizona Power Company (now Arizona Public Service).