Tanque Verde Falls east of Tucson can be a scenic spot to see the power of the monsoon, but public safety and forest officials have words of advice for anyone thinking of heading up there:
Be careful, watch the weather and don’t take a risky leap from the falls into the rushing water.
The treacherous falls in the Coronado National Forest east of Tucson have claimed at least several dozen lives over the past few decades — the latest one last week — and while signs warn of the dangers of the fast moving water and hidden rocks, officials say there is little they can do to stop people from diving off the cliffs.
A 21-year-old man became the most recent victim of the falls when he jumped from a cliff into the water Aug. 11 and never resurfaced. Search-and-rescue teams didn’t immediately locate his body, which was later found by a property owner several miles downstream.
More than 30 people have died at the site in falls from steep rocks or by drowning after being swept away by fast-flowing water, said Richard Kunz, of the Southern Arizona Rescue Association. Eight people were swept to their deaths on a single day — July 26, 1981 — when a torrent of water washed them over the falls, a drop of 80 feet. It would take five days to recover all the bodies.
Another waterfall site, Seven Falls in Bear Canyon northeast of Tucson, also has been the scene of injuries and rescues over the years. But there have been fewer serious incidents there — partly because reaching the site involves a much longer hike than the trek of a half-mile or so to the more easily reached Tanque Verde Falls.
COMMON SENSE IS KEY
A prominent sign, posted along a popular approach route to Tanque Verde Falls, warns of the dangers: “Hazardous area. Diving may result in injury or death. Water depth varies. Dangerous waterfall.”
Another sign, affixed to rocks near the fast-flowing stream, says: “Dangerous area. Deadly waterfalls ahead.”
Many have failed to heed the warnings.
“Lack of judgment is the biggest problem out there,” Kunz said.
Judgment has, in some cases, been impaired by the use of alcohol or drugs by people visiting the falls.
Heidi Schewel, spokeswoman for the Coronado National Forest, which manages the falls area on Redington Pass, said officials encourage people to use common sense when visiting Tanque Verde Falls.
“Situational awareness is a valuable tool for personal safety,” she said.
“It is not recommended that people jump from cliffs into the water in Redington Pass or elsewhere on the forest,” Schewel said. “Rocks below the surface may not be visible to those entering the water. Extra caution is called for during monsoon season when water levels can rise quickly. We advise visitors to avoid slot canyons, streams and low-lying areas where flash flooding can occur during storm season.”
Deputy Tracy Suitt, a spokesman for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which took part in the search last week, advised: “Basically, think twice before you go out there” to the falls.
“If you go, you need to be aware of the conditions — whether there have been recent rains or if rains are expected,” Suitt said. “That affects the amount of water coming down the falls.”
Rocks get slippery
Another danger: “If it’s wet out there, the rocks can be very slippery, and that can increase the possibility of falling,” Suitt said.
He said a storm brought such heavy rains, runoff and lightning that a search for the falls’ most recent victim had to be suspended for the day.
Jumping from cliffs into the water is fraught with danger, Suitt said.
“You might slip before you jump,” he said. “You might hit your head on something when you jump,” or be badly injured by landing in a shallow area of a pool.
A SAFER ALTERNATIVE
The half-mile Lower Tanque Verde Canyon Trail, built by volunteers from the Rescue Association in 1986, is aimed at attracting people to an area below the falls.
Leading to scenic pools and sandy beaches, the trail avoids the risks of sheer cliffs, slippery rocks and dangerous leaps from the upper end of the falls.
National forest and sheriff’s officials noted that it’s impractical to regularly patrol the expanse of rugged terrain around the falls in an effort to discourage dangerous behavior.
“The area has been signed” with warning signs, Schewel noted.
“And we are in the early stages of developing an overall management plan for the area in which this (promoting safety) will be addressed.”
Suitt said, “Right now, all we can do is keep reminding people of the dangers. One of our search-and-rescue guys put it this way: You just have to respect it when you’re out there.”
