Slide Rock State Park is one of the crown jewels of the Arizona State Park system. With some of the highest summer visitation levels in the system, the park staff must contend with visitor management as well as with maintaining a water supply for irrigation of the heirloom orchard, provide potable water supply, manage storm water runoff that traverses the park property on its way into Oak Creek, and respond to floods that periodically impact Oak Creek.

Photo by Derek Von Briesen, 2005.

The Ecological Monitoring & Assessment Program (EMA) at NAU as been working with Park staff for the last year. This unique partnership has focused on four items to date:

Water Systems Evaluation. In discussions with park staff regarding Slide Rock’s water supply, concerns have focused primarily on two items: 1) providing a consistent, reliable and cost effective irrigated water supply to the approximately 200 existing heritage fruit and nut trees present on the property, and 2) reducing impacts on the park’s resources caused by storm water runoff through Brownhouse Wash. EMA is partnering with Charlie Schlinger from NAU’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department to develop and fund the completion of a Water Systems Evaluation for the Park. Components of the Evaluation include completing a Water Budget, an Irrigation Water Supply Analysis, an Irrigation Water Distribution Analysis, and a Storm Water Plan. EMA and Dr. Schlinger are currently working to secure funding for this project.

Heritage Orchard Restoration. NAU’s Center for Sustainable Environments (CSE) and EMA recently received an Arizona State Parks Historic Preservation Heritage Fund grant for the restoration of the Slide Rock State Park’s heirloom orchards. The grant is being used to fund the preservation the cultivated fruit and nut tree heritage and genetic diversity through mapping, identifying and tagging trees, determining the health of all trees, taking cuttings and grafting them on rootstock to preserve the varieties, and replanting these trees in historical locations.

Pendley Oral History. As part of the CSE grant discussed above, EMA conducted an oral history interview with Tom Pendley who lived on the homestead before it became a park. This oral history provided valuable information about the varieties and locations of the orchard trees as well as other historical information.

Historic Orchards: A Hands-on Workshop. NAU’s CSE held a workshop April 7-9, 2006 to teach participants about the care and restoration of heirloom fruits and historic orchards. Workshop participants discussed fruit tree physiology and propagation, selection of the appropriate propagation technique and the right rootstock, identifying heirloom varieties, tracking a genetic stock through its life history and post propagation care and nursery growing.

Apple Festival.  EMA and CSE are attending the Festival and are working to secure both NAU and non-NAU vendors for this event. The Festival is a wonderful opportunity to share information about the importance of the orchard, the value of oral histories, and the role of fire in southwestern forests.

Student Volunteer Clean-up. EMA is organizing student volunteers to help park staff beautify the Park prior to the Apple Festival. We will be providing 20-30 energetic and enthusiastic volunteers to complete any necessary tasks to help the Park look its best for the Festival. Additional volunteer clean-up days will be organized as needed through coordination with park staff.

Original Homestead Cabins. EMA is working with Tom Rogers of NAU’s Construction Management department to develop a student project for the design and restoration of the original homestead cabins at Slide Rock.