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It's gonna be tough to go anywhere this summer! Does anyone know if all hiking will be off limits? Any info on water levels in the East Verde,Tonto creek,etc.?

Well hmmm. Even though I spoke to a Coconino NF ranger just yesterday who said that all the Coconino NF will be closed Tuesday, except for selected developed campgrounds, this morning's news stated that only parts of the Coconino will be closed with fire restrictions in all of Coconino NF. I also heard on the news that Apache-Sitgreaves NF will meet this week to discuss possible closures and additional restrictions to implement before Memorial Day weekend. I dunno.

-Nealz

Sad that people are so careless out there! I juat saw someone toss a cigarette(yuck) butt out of their window on the Beeline! Almost launched my truck into 4low+rode over them !Jerks!

Sometimes fires are not started by careless people. I was talking to one of the fire rangers on Mt. Elden and he told me that some people start fires for the fun of it. They caught one person that was starting them about a half a mile apart. They figured out what his pattern was and went ahead of him a busted him. They are not so fortunate to find them too often tho.

We have a lot of homeless people that live in the woods around Flagstaff in the summertime. Sometimes their little fires get out of control. The fire that burned Elden behind my house in '78 was caused by a runaway teenage girl--about 13 if I remember correctly. I remember reading somewhere that the city of Flag puts out over 100 small fires every summer. I worry that this year they might get out of hand... the town has burned before.

Saw a forest closure map on the tube+it doesn't look good for us oudoor junkies.I'm concerned about all the wildlife having no food or water.This is really sad. We should all get together + have a Kokopelli chant or raindance. Pray for rain! Thanks for the feedback!

Montezumawell provided the address for this web site relating to stream flows, http://az.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/current?type=flow another site for lake levels is http://www.srpnet.com

Many weather experts are saying that our current drought is being caused by two joint factors - a particularly strong La Nina effect this year, and a growing increase in an unusual warming trend in the Indian Ocean. Together they have dropped the hammer on our weather.

This coupled with the effect of having had several years of below average rainfal have conspired to create some of the driest conditions of the past 20 years here in our part of the US.

The antidote may be on the way. All the signs point to a particularly strong El Nino this winter. So, while relief may not come this summer, or even this monsoon season, there is lots of hope for a wet winter. Keep your fingers crossed. A few experts are saying that it will take 3 years of exceptionally high rainfall to reverse the effects of the current dry spell.

So, build an Ark - after all, if you build it...they will come...

(by the way - El Nino = cyclical warming of pacific water - La Nina = cooling of those same waters)

I just want to hear the cicadas sing. When the cicadas sing the monsoons will arrive.

Driving home from the GC this morning, EVERY road off 180 in the Coconino Forest was closed except those leading to residences. Road block across road into Snowbowl. Announcement on radio that Prescott Nat'l forest was closed except small area around Lynx (?) Lake.

http://www.azdailysun.com/non_sec/nav_i ... ryID=41248

Folks are coming in out of the woods.