1/13/2007 4:00:00 AM 'A River Reborn' Fossil Creek film premieres Sunday in Phoenix
By JOANNA DODDER
The Daily Courier
Less than a week after Congressional members reintroduced a bill to designate Fossil Creek a Wild & Scenic River, a documentary about the creek will premiere in its entirety for the first time Sunday in Phoenix.
The public is welcome to attend the world premiere at the Orpheum Theater. Tickets are $10 for either the 4 or 7 p.m. screening. Tickets are available by calling 602-262-7272.
The film, "A River Reborn," focuses on the unique collaboration between an electricity company and environmental groups to decommission a power plant and restore Fossil Creek to its natural state, all without litigation.
Now that it's free-flowing, U.S. Sen. John McCain and U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi are sponsoring legislation that would keep it that way forever.
In explaining his decision to support decommissioning of the Fossil Creek hydroelectric facility, Arizona Public Service Chair William Post said, "As we looked at the opportunity to give the residents of the state of Arizona a perennial stream in the desertŠ there is no option to that. We can find other ways to generate electricity. We cannot find other perennial streams in the desert."
The creek, which is home to endangered desert fish and unique geologic formations, begins at the edge of the Mogollon Rim and flows 14 miles through the Coconino and Tonto national forests before joining up with the Verde River southeast of Camp Verde.
Those involved in the creek's restoration will speak between 6 and 7 p.m. Sunday at the premiere. They include the filmmakers as well as officials from Northern Arizona University, which helped create the film, Arizona Public Service and environmental groups.
Producer Paul Bockhorst, who has won five Emmys, will be among the speakers.
"Vital lessons are being learned at Fossil Creek lessons that can be applied to environmental restoration projects elsewhere," Bockhorst said. "That makes Fossil Creek a case study of national and even international importance."
Actor Ted Danson of "Cheers" fame, who narrated the film, also has been invited to speak.
Danson grew up in Flagstaff and has a deep interest in environmental issues in his native state.
In the film, Danson says, "The Fossil Creek story provides a beacon of hope and an inspiring model for the restoration of degraded streams and waterways. Even now, as a work in progress, Fossil Creek stands out as one of the most important and promising environmental restoration projects in the history of the American Southwest."
Prescott Creeks screened the nearly complete film at its CreeksFest film festival in Prescott in November 2006. Prescott once used power from the Fossil Creek facilities.
KAET Channel 8 will air the film at 9 p.m. Wednesday. Then it will then be distributed to other public television stations across the country.
Arizona Public Service built the state's first hydroelectric power plant on lower Fossil Creek in 1909 and started diverting most of the creek's flow for its power. Last year the creek went back to its natural course, and over the next four years, APS will work on restoration and removal of its equipment.
"Today, people in the Southwest and throughout the country are reassessing the use of precious water resources," said Dr. Stefan Sommer, executive producer of "A River Reborn." "They are seeking to balance the fulfillment of human needs with protection of the natural systems that support human life.
"Fossil Creek is a focal point for this reassessment; it reveals both the challenges and opportunities associated with riparian restoration."
To learn more about the film, visit its Web site at www.riverreborn.org.
