Arizona’s rivers are running dry for a combination of reasons. Now, an innovative new tool is aiming to preserve and protect the Grand Canyon State’s water resources for years to come. The Nature Conservancy and Yavapai-Apache Nation have partnered on the project. The new modeling tool is being used to monitor the Verde River, which starts flowing southwest of Flagstaff. It eventually connects with the Salt River, which pours into systems across the Phoenix area. The new tool combines climate, groundwater and surface water systems. It then simulates outcomes of various hypothetical water stressors like heat and less rain.