Verde River Sheep Crossing 2011

By Diane Lovett

Originally Published: July 17, 2011 7:52 a.m.

 The Verde River, clear and clean, rolled out of the shade of the desert willows and into the bright sunlight, flowing toward the cacophony and commotion just ahead.

Dozens of small hooves milled around on the sandy river bank, sending clouds of dust skyward. Up and down the river, shouts rang out and dogs barked. A wether walked out to the middle of the crossing, the bell on his neck clanking loudly.

On May 21, a band of 2000 sheep were being pushed into the water at a place on the Verde River known as Sheep's Crossing.

Even though a string of pack animals had already crossed and the bell wether bleated and beckoned to them, the ewes refused to budge.

With insistent voices and long shepherd's poles, three Peruvian herders urged them on. Members of the Auza family of Casa Grande, the owners of the sheep, called out and waved their arms.

A few onlookers, locals who'd gotten word of the crossing, added their voices to the fray to help start the band across the river.

A seasoned border collie wore back and forth behind the flock, nipping at rear ends and barking furiously. A younger dog mimicked him without much result. Finally, a ewe at the head of the bunch crowded closest to the river's edge stepped into the water and proceeded across.

The rest of the flock followed, wading into the river as quietly as you please, as though there'd never been any fuss at all.

The date could just as easily have been May, 1911, and the same scenario would be playing out in exactly the same spot on the river.

According to Carmen Auza, member of one of the oldest sheep ranching families in Arizona, "in the 1900's there were well over one million sheep in Arizona.

Today there are approximately 20,000 and only a few operations of substantial size.

They are Manterola Sheep, Dobson Sheep, Joseph Auza Jr., Joe Auza Sr., and Rudy Echeverria." She also explains that in the early 1900's, many Basques from the Pyrenees of Northern Spain arrived in Arizona to herd the sheep. Among them were Ramon Aso, Tony Manterola, Frank Auza, Pete Espil, Manuel Aja, Miguel Echeverria, and Juan Aleman.

In those days the sheep were driven from Phoenix to various spots in Northern Arizona to graze in the cool mountain meadows.

Approximately 10 bands of 2000 sheep were driven by herders who walked the distance, along with a pack string to carry supplies, and two or three good dogs who did the hard work of keeping the sheep bunched together and moving north.

The sheep were required to stay within prescribed driveways, determined by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, who hired outriders to keep an eye on the bands and make sure they didn't wander out of those driveways.

There was the main north-south driveway between Black Canyon and Flagstaff, the Beaverhead-Grief Hill Driveway that headed east, and a more westerly route north that traveled through Munds Park.

Early on, the sheep ranchers joined together and formed the Arizona Wool Growers Association. They controlled watering sites, bought property as necessary along the drive routes, and did much to protect the rights of the sheep ranchers. Over the years, as the number of sheep and sheep ranchers declined, the association scaled down accordingly and was renamed the Arizona Wool Producers.

For some years, the sheep were trucked north in the spring and back down in the fall, but as Mrs. Auza explains, her family and the Manterolas resumed the historic drive north for "a couple of reasons. . . . First, we can't enter the Forest Service permit areas until the first of June, and it is too hot to keep the sheep in the Valley. Also, walking puts the sheep into better shape for breeding. The trip takes 30 to 45 days and the sheep are driven three to four miles each day." And, making this token drive each spring helps to protect the sheep ranchers' right to use the historic driveways.

In early May, 2011, the Auza family trucked 2000 of their 7000 ewes to the Badger Springs area north of Phoenix. From there, the Peruvian herders and camp tender (flown in each year for the purpose) began the annual historic drive. Along with their pack string and a couple of dogs, they head north towards Black Canyon, following the route that will take them through the Verde Valley and on to Flagstaff. Mrs. Auza relates that the daily ritual begins with a hearty breakfast prepared by the camp tender. Then "they break camp at daylight, pack up the burros, and start guiding the sheep. At about 11 a.m., the camp tender unloads the burros and prepares lunch." After a couple of hours' rest they begin again, grazing the flock along the way and pushing on until sunset.

Just after leaving the windmill and water tank near the top of Copper Canyon, the band enters the Verde Valley, winding its way down to Cherry Creek and up to the next watering spot just beyond Cherry Road. From there, they go under Highway 260 at Hayfield Draw, down a valley to Thousand Trails camping area, and on to Sheep's Crossing. The Auzas met the band at the crossing, bringing fresh supplies to the herders before they head on to the high country. The burros are repacked and everyone is rested before the sheep are pushed across the river and up the hill on the far side. From our vantage point on a rise above the river, it looks as though the entire hill turned white. Slowly, the sea of white creeps out of sight and into the blue sky beyond.

If you'd like to catch a glimpse of history played out just as it was 100 years ago, watch for the sheep as they come across our valley to Thousand Trails and head north. You'll spend an exciting and interesting day!

With special thanks to Carmen Auza for the use of information from her article: Auza, Carmen. "Handing down History." Pinal Ways, Casa Grande Valley Newspapers, Inc., Summer, 2010: 4 - 6, 34.