Paleoflood history and cultural dynamics of the Middle Verde Valley, Arizona
Huckleberry G and Kornmeyer N. 2002. Paleoflood history and cultural dynamics of the Middle Verde Valley, Arizona. Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
In this paper we present the results of an alluvial stratigraphic study of stream terraces located along the Verde River between the towns of Cottonwood and Camp Verde, Arizona. Eleven 14C dates from overbank flood sediment suggest that most of the deposits post-date A.D. 1400. This may be due to preferential preservation of younger alluvium or a climate-induced increase in large flood frequency during the late 14th century. Tree-ring reconstructions of annual Verde River discharge suggest that large floods increased in frequency after A.D. 1380 whereas compiled 14C-dated slackwater sites from the Verde River basin suggest that flood frequency increased sometime between A.D. 1200 and 1400. More well dated alluvial sequences from the Middle Verde Valley are needed to confirm changes in flood regime proposed by tree-ring and slackwater stratigraphic records. Changes in large flood frequency due to climate variability represents an important environmental variable for understanding both prehistoric changes in settlement and population in the Middle Verde Valley as well as modern ecological changes to the Verde River. (Copied verbatim from the report.)