Leave No Trace Education Produces Measurable Results at Arizona’s Oak Creek

December 9, 2025

New, 90-second video showcases a successful community-based effort

December 9, 2025 /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – Running through Sedona, scenic Oak Creek offers swimming, fishing, hiking, camping, and other recreation opportunities for millions of Arizonians and visitors. In recent years, Oak Creek’s water quality deteriorated, exceeding water safety standards for Escherichia coliform (E. coli) and threatening the area’s natural attributes. To keep this invaluable resource healthy and open to the public, something needed to be done.

90-Second Video: See Leave No Trace in Action at Oak Creek

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (AZDEQ) partnered with Leave No Trace and a coalition of stakeholders to initiate a response. With on-site education, print and social media outreach, and thorough on-the-ground awareness efforts, Oak Creek visitors learn how to reduce their impacts while enjoying recreation along the creek and nearby trails. Other elements of the response include closing hundreds of user-created trails, installing 35 pet waste stations, and initiating an annual community-based cleanup event.

View Leave No Trace Signs and Education Designed for Oak Creek

The results of this multi-pronged effort have been measurable and impressive. In the summer of 2025, an analysis showed E. coli levels have decreased by 42% (baseflow reduction) since 2020. Additionally, the closure of undesignated trails has led to 80 tons less soil entering the creek each year, decreasing turbidity. A new water quality monitoring system and a public alert plan are now in place to protect the health of human visitors. These watershed health improvements are supported by actionable Leave No Trace education that reaches at least 66% of visitors.

Brice Esplin, the Director of Sustainable Tourism and Partnerships for Leave No Trace, observed, “In Arizona and nationwide, more people than ever before are seeking the health and enjoyment that comes from visiting the outdoors. Leave No Trace partners with communities, tourism departments, and land managers to provide clear, actionable advice that measurably lowers the impacts associated with recreation and equips the public to be stewards of natural areas.”

This overview from AZDEQ provides more information about the coalition of local, state, and national organizations that are helping to protect Oak Creek Canyon.

Learn more about Leave No Trace’s partnerships and consulting services for businesses, tourism departments, land managers, and others hoping to protect natural resources.

Leave No Trace extends special thanks to Voice Over for the Planet for supporting the Oak Creek video project

Media Contact: Mark Eller| mark@lnt.org | Communications Director