Tuzigoot National Monument - Wetlands

When the first Europeans entered the Verde Valley in the late 16th century, they encountered an environment far different from the arid, desert-like conditions existing today. A series of slow-moving sloughs and marshes, in places more than a mile wide, meandered lazily through the valley. Lush vegetation grew within this almost tropical marshland, providing habitat for a wide variety of mammals and birds, including parrots. Visitors to Tuzigoot today can experience a sense of these now-vanished conditions by exploring adjacent Tavasci Marsh.

Tavasci Marsh formed thousands of years ago in a now-abandoned meander of the Verde River, and is named for a pioneer family who leased the land from a mining company for a dairy operation. The marsh was drained to provide more land for grazing during this time, but is today managed by the Arizona Department of Game and Fish as a wetland. The natural works of beaver have helped to restore the marsh. The Audobon Society has designated Tavasci Marsh as an Important Bird Area, and the marsh is a focus for some of the activities of the Verde Birding and Nature Festival held each year in April.

Marshes may be either salt or freshwater. Freshwater marshes are strongly influenced by the surrounding ecosystem, since the type and deposition of sediment, supply of nutrients, and movement of water are determining factors in the plant composition, species richness, and productivity of the marsh. Life thrives at virtually every level of a marsh. The cattails and other vegetation provide nesting and perches for a variety of birds. Most notable at Tavasci Marsh are the redwing blackbirds. The water hosts mosquito fish, frogs, and turtles, and Great Blue Herons can often be seen as they search for food. The roots of the vegetation slow the flow of water trapping silt and taking up excess nitrogen. In the mud live the "recyclers" - the bacteria, snails, and insect larvae, feeding on animal waste and decaying vegetation.

Marshes are valuable natural resources, providing important habitat for a variety of plant and animal life, and act as purifiers of water. It has been estimated that, in Arizona, only 5% of the watercourses still exist in a natural state, making Tavasci Marsh even more important to preserve.