Verde Village Pond could be dry by 2028
– Christopher Fox Graham, Larson Newspapers
(published June 18, 2025)
Arizona water rights litigation is affecting the Verde Valley, and the Verde Village Community Connection is seeking a solution regarding a 2028 deadline that will potentially interfere with the future water replenishment for the three-acre Verde Village Pond located in Verde Village Unit 4.
The pond is privately owned by the Verde Village Property Owners Association, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit doing business as the VVCC. The VVCC will lose its water rights to the pond by 2028, which VVCC leadership stated necessitated a decision on the pond’s fate to prevent it from drying up and affecting local waterfowl and wildlife.
The pond, a landmark in the Verde Village, was originally established during the Unit 4 subdivision’s development as an attraction and for fire suppression.
While the Verde Valley Fire District and Cottonwood Fire Department fire trucks can now draw water from municipal hydrants, the 12-foot-deep pond remains a wildlife habitat and recreational spot enjoyed by fishermen, picnickers, and birders.
The pond is currently maintained by having Verde River water pumped in to offset losses to evaporation, which is allowed under a permit granted in the 1970s through the Cottonwood Ditch Association, which holds the water rights.
The Cottonwood Ditch Association’s claimed priority date for its surface water rights to the Verde River is Dec. 10, 1877. The 1869 diversion originally was opposite Pecks Lake at the Old Government Dam and the ditch extended through ranches on the west side of the Verde River and what is now the city of Cottonwood and the unincorporated area of Bridgeport.
The Cottonwood Ditch Association maintains the eight-mile-long irrigation ditch, which provides irrigation water to 843.5 acres of farms, ranches and the pond. Each acre is entitled to a pro rata share of the 8,000 acre-feet annually diverted from the Verde River.
The Cottonwood Ditch Association informed the VVCC in June 2022 that it would no longer supply water for non-agricultural uses effective three years from the notice date and formalized the notice in January 2023.
At the VVCC’s request, a three-year extension was granted in January 2024, setting the final deadline for water cessation in 2028.
The Cottonwood Ditch Association is governed by a board consisting of President and Ditch Boss Andy Grosetta, Vice President David Mongini, Secretary and Treasurer Bill Wade and board members Bob DeGeer, Judd Wasden and Mary Beth Grosetta. [since this article was published, Andy Grosetta has passed away, and current Ditch Masters are The Honorable John D. Napper and The Honorable Linda Wallace.]
The pond’s future must be decided by VVPOA members.
Past and current volunteer board members have started conversations about what to do with the pond and researched the issues, and are now seeking resources, support and ideas from members of the community to make a decision and fund a possible solution.
Environmentalists, engineers, lawyers, and anyone with know-how regarding this issue is invited to contact the VVCC at info@vvcc.life.
For more information about the ditch association, visit cottonwoodditch.com.
=== END OF ARTICLE FROM LARSON NEWSPAPERS ===
There are a multitude of ways to get involved, such as:
- * Visit the pond and enjoy it between dawn and dusk
- * Volunteer to help cut and remove brush and pick up trash around the pond
- * Inform neighbors and friends of the issue with the pond
- * Donate money to help pay for current expenses such as electricity to run the pump and Cottonwood Ditch fees
- * Become a VVCC member to have a vote on its future
- * Become a Pond Committee member to help research and recommend solutions
- * Donate money to implement solutions such as digging a well, filling it in, making it a park without water
Verde Village to donate pond to county
By VYTO STARINSKAS, The Verde Independent 12/6/2025
VERDE VILLAGE – The Verde Village Property Owners Association wants the county to take over the Verde Village pond and make it a regional park, and the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors has advanced the plan.
Aislinn Maldonado, president of the VVPOA, said a park would be an amazing way for the community to move forward, and they have tried everything else.
The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors was asked to take the pond in a donation by the VVPOA on Friday, Nov. 19.
“They are in desperate need of a community park,” Supervisor Nikki Check said at the meeting. “The prospect that this pond would be out of commission and be a community blight is really a difficulty.”
Check, who has been meeting with the VVPOA, said the Verde Villages [sic] have 12,000 residents and no park.
“I do believe that there is a pathway for responsible donation to the county with the intention to possibly create District 3’s first Yavapai County park,” she said.
The intention would be for it to be a county park on the State Route 260 corridor between Cottonwood and Camp Verde, like Windmill Park in Cornville, Check said.
There is the issue with the domestic ducks, geese and fish, but it’s not a wildlife preserve, Check said.
District 2 Supervisor Dee Jenkins wanted to make sure the fish and creatures in the pond were taken care of before any agreement.
“Draining the pond will be one of the hurdles to get over, and how the county would get over that,” Check said, adding that she brought it to the board to give direction to staff to give them time to research the issue.
The Verde Villages [sic] pond — a three-acre water feature located on a 4.22-acre parcel at 3901 E. Del Rio Drive — is 10-feet-deep and serves as a vital community space for recreation.
The pond needs to be drained because it relies on water from the Cottonwood Ditch, which will no longer be available after Jan. 1, 2028, because of a policy change restricting non-agricultural use.
Maldonado said it doesn’t qualify for grants, and the county has bigger hands and resources.
The VVPOA is a volunteer and member-driven organization that arose in the 1970s in response to a lack of infrastructure provided by the land developer of the Verde Villages [sic], Maldonado stated in her letter to the board.
Membership is voluntary, and today, fewer than 100 households out of more than 4,000 in the Verde Villages [sic] Census Designated Area, are active members, she said. It is not a homeowners’ association, no covenants, conditions and restrictions to enforce property standards. Its income is approximately $50,000 per year.
Check said the project would make a great community block grant.
The agenda item was for staff to begin looking at the county project and come back to the supervisors over multi-years.
Staff will look at costs of draining the pond, site plans and what it will take to make it a regional park.
The board approved action item No. 2, to direct staff to investigate the acceptance of the donation of a private Villages [sic] pond from the VVPOA.
Waterfowl
The Del Rio Pond hosts a wide variety of ducks and geese and migrating birds stop by seasonally.
It is said that ducks prefer the pond to Dead Horse State Park lagoons because the pond is murky and the lagoons are too clean.
Over the years, domestic ducks have been dropped off at the pond by people who no longer wanted them. They could not support themselves and volunteers would feed them. They could not fly away because they are domestic, and have interbred with wild ducks, making a hybrid that also cannot support itself.
In 2024, volunteers were able to remove and rehome all the domestic ducks, leaving only the wild ones.
Fish in the Pond
Fishermen catch a wide variety of fish in the pond, yet carp and catfish are predominant. The pond was stocked with fish in the far past.
Since the pond is private property, no fishing license is required to fish here.
Visitors are welcome to fish dawn to dusk, the hours the pond is open to the public.
In 2023, the VVCC sponsored a catch-and-release Youth Fishing Tournament. Participants did not pay a fee to enter, and competed for prizes for Most Fish Caught, Largest Catfish, and Largest Carp. See photos of the tournament at vvcc.life/2023-events.
The Pond’s Future: Your Questions Answered
Why Can’t We Save It as a Pond?
Saving the pond requires meeting multiple demanding conditions and finding a new water source.
- Neighborhood Impact: As a body of water without an outlet, the pond experiences seasonal algae blooms and hosts mosquitos in warm, wet seasons.
- Structural Issues: The structural integrity of the retaining walls were not designed to last this long (>50 years) without repairs. The shore is also being eroded and wildlife are contributing to its erosion.
- Cottonwood Trees: Cottonwood trees consume lots of water which needs to be continually pumped in. In addition,their pollen causes a reaction in many people
- Maintenance: The pond would require continual maintenance, which is currently beyond the capability of the VVPOA organization.
- New Water Source: See drilling a well below.
Why Can’t It Be Used for Fire Suppression Anymore?
The original use as a fire reservoir is no longer feasible due to modern technology and liability concerns.
- Original Permit: A conditional use permit for the water to be used to suppress fires is what allowed the VVPOA to get shares in the use of the water from the Cottonwood Ditch Association in the 1970’s.
- Incompatible System: With the development of modern fire suppression technologies, water trucks, and fire hydrants to fill them spread throughout the Verde Village, Fire Chief Johnson says their system is not compatible with sucking water from the pond.
- For Wildfires: In terms of using a helicopter to dip water out of the pond for wildfires, Fire Chief Johnson says that the liability is too great considering the surrounding homes and wildlife.
Why Can’t We Drill a Well to Supply Water?
Drilling a well is expensive, legally complex, and would not guarantee a long-term solution.
- High Cost: The cost of drilling a well would be $50,000 to $100,000. This volunteer nonprofit does not have the money, nor does it have the right status to apply for grants.
- Water Rights and Permits:
- The VVPOC may not have Water Rights to dig a well for non-residential purposes.
- It may not be possible to get a permit to do so for a recreational purpose with the emphasis on water conservation.
- It is no longer legal to drill below the water table to obtain water.
- Risk of Shut-Off: With AZ water litigation continuing, if a well was drilled, it would not be assured to continue pumping if there was a decision against it from the state.
- Infrastructure: If the pond continues to be filled with water from a well, the infrastructure would have to be improved to continue to hold the water safely.
Why Can’t It Be a Wildlife Refuge or for Agriculture?
Both options face challenges with funding, water supply, and organizational capacity.
Endangered Wildlife Refuge and Environmental Conservancy
- Funding Challenge: The primary challenge is where the water and the money to support the water come from.
- Grant Ineligibility: As the VVPOA is a 501(c)4 non-profit, it is not eligible for grants normally given for these kinds of projects.
Agriculture
- Business Management: Someone would have to step forward to manage the agriculture as an entirely new business.
- Tax/Expertise: In order to do that, a special water district would have to be assembled that would impose a tax on all the homes in the Verde Village. This kind of expertise is beyond any current volunteer’s capability.
What About Turning the Area Into a Park or Splash Pad?
Both alternatives would require extensive construction, engineering, and funding that the VVPOA cannot cover.
Park
- Site Preparation: The water would have to be removed and the pond area filled in with dirt. If engineers with know-how could direct this, it might be possible with free dirt.
- Water: Unlesswe create a park that strictly has ‘native plants,’ we still have the issue of providing water.
- Funding: The improvement into a park would be dependent on funding sources, which is not in the scope of the VVPOA budget. In addition, currently there are not the people or resources to fund-raise.
Splash Pad
- Property Issues: First, there are all the issues with the property such as fortifying the retaining walls, filling in the depth, and landscaping it. Then there is the issue of engineering and design of the facility.
- Water Sourcing: Sourcing water from City of Cottonwood pipes would involve getting a meter installed and paying a water bill such as residents do.
Understanding Surface Water Rights
The Verde Valley has a rich history of agriculture that continues to this day. Farms and ranches of various sizes dot the landscape. Some who own property in the Verde Valley keep animals, tend gardens or farms, and irrigate lush lawns and large trees. But landowners and potential landowners—especially those looking at irrigated properties—should be aware of some basic laws regarding water rights.
Just because a property does irrigate may not mean it has the legal right to do so or that the use will be recognized in the future. For many reasons, there remains uncertainty about the use of surface water from creeks and rivers and even well water on properties throughout Arizona. By understanding some of the basic laws around surface water, you should be able to better evaluate risks and uncertainties associated with a particular water use.
Download the pdf “Surface Water Rights” from the Cottonwood Ditch Association website for more detailed information.
See the letter sent the VVPOA from the Cottonwood Ditch Association here and their 2024 Annual Meeting Minutes here.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WATER IN ARIZONA AND THE VERDE VALLEY:
Arizona Department of Water Resources: azwater.gov
Friends of the Verde River: verderiver.org
Salt River Project: WatershedConnection.com
Superior Court General Stream Adjudication page: http://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/SuperiorCourt/GeneralStreamAdjudication/Index.asp