Restore Arnett Creek and Telegraph Canyon, AZ

Are you interested in conservation that restores degraded habitats to benefit biodiversity?

Do you desire to support an on-the-ground conservation project where the impact of your contribution is visible within your next potential hiking destination?

Restoring Arnett Creek, Queen Creek, and Telegraph Canyon is the conservation project to fund. You can even volunteer, and literally, have your hands in the effort!

The longterm investment into this riparian area benefits wildlife, biodiversity dependent on healthy riparian woodlands, and outdoor recreationists that explore this desert oasis. Since 2015, Wild Arizona, in collaboration with partners, sponsors, and hundreds of volunteers has been working to restore Arnett Creek and Telegraph Canyon to its former riparian glory. From 2015 to 2020, Wild Arizona intensively removed tons of non-native invasive plants (saltcedar and oleander) that threaten the viability of the area and the animals that call this place home. By 2021, they had treated 51 acres (3.6 miles) of Arnett Creek and a northern portion of Telegraph Canyon. In May 2021, the Telegraph Fire destroyed approximately 1.6 miles of Arnett Creek, including significant native vegetation like mesquite, cottonwood, cholla cactus, and saguaro cactus. In May 2022, a partial survey of Arnett Creek documented minimal saltcedar regrowth, and these areas were manually treated (i.e., physical plant removal). The survey results are positive, but efforts must continue.

While significant inroads have been accomplished since 2015, the complete restoration of Arnett Creek, Queen Creek, and Telegraph Canyon depends on biannual retreatment of the Creeks and the upper reaches of Telegraph Canyon for the next several years to suppress the growth of invasive plants. Our failure to act now jeopardizes years of dedication to restoring this beautiful place.

100% of the money donated to Wild Arizona as part of this campaign will fund the Restoring Arnett Creek/Telegraph Canyon project. This funding campaign has several objectives:

1) To fund the monitoring and retreatment of invasive plants on 51 acres and cover the cost of herbicide and certified herbicide applicators, as required by Tonto National Forest.

2) To leverage additional financial support from government (i.e., AZ Department of Forestry and Fire Management's Invasive Plant Program) and the private sector to bolster efforts and expand the project to Queen Creek.

3) To fund the purchase of native plants for the revegetation of Arnett Creek's burn scar resulting from the 2021 Telegraph Fire.

4) This effort is supported by constituents that have united for the betterment of the area, including Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Town of Superior, Tonto National Forest, and Back Country Horsemen of America.

View the link below to read the full story: Restoring Arnett Creek/Telegraph Canyon.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/19ed2a025b1247bd910d1bb5d863cf23

For more information, contact the project leader, Brian Stultz with Wild Arizona.

Thank you for your support and your altruism. See you in Arnett Creek and Telegraph Canyon!