A Yavapai County flood recovery update posted by the City of Prescott on Nov. 12 shows a community that has moved out of evacuation mode and into cleanup. There are no evacuation alerts in the city. Watson Lake, Willow Lake and Lower Goldwater Lake have reopened. Two low-water crossings remain closed, and several trails and trail bridges are still damaged.
The Nov. 1 storms also tore up a stretch of State Route 89A in Oak Creek Canyon and left private wells and flood-damaged homes to be checked, which is why this Yavapai County flood recovery update includes well-safety steps. This Yavapai County flood recovery update gathers the official notices published through Friday, Nov. 13, so readers in Prescott, the Verde Valley and along the canyon can see what is open, what is not, and how to get help. Keep this Yavapai County flood recovery update handy alongside our earlier report on Verde River flooding and evacuations.
What This Yavapai County Flood Recovery Update Covers
Roads and low-water crossings still closed in Prescott
Turn around at barricades; two city crossings are still shut. The city’s Nov. 12 emergency page, last updated at 2:37 p.m. Arizona time, lists these low-water crossing closures:
- Lincoln Avenue at Grove Street
- Clearwater at Robin Drive
The city warns drivers not to go around barricades or enter flooded roadways, and notes that conditions can change quickly. For highways outside city limits, start with AZ511 and our companion post on Northern Arizona road closures this week.
Watson, Willow and Goldwater lakes, plus parks and trails
The lakes are open; some parks, fields and trails are not. The same Nov. 12 city notice says Watson Lake, Willow Lake and Lower Goldwater Lake have all reopened. Upper Bill Valley field remains closed. A Nov. 4 city release had kept the lake parks closed while dams were inspected and water was tested, so this is a real change from the early recovery notices.
The city’s Prescott Water Quality Dashboard, in a Nov. 10 advisory, still recommended avoiding contact such as paddling or wading at Watson Lake, Willow Lake and Granite Creek until test results show safe conditions. Stormwater after the floods raised E. coli levels, the city said in its Nov. 4 recovery release. Check that dashboard before you put a boat or a dog in the water.
Trails the city listed as flooded or damaged as of Nov. 12:
- Greenways Trails; East Bay Trail at Willow Lake; Walden Farms Trail; Peavine Trail (North); Watson Woods Trails; Gateway Trail; and Soggy Bottom Trail
- Damaged bridges on the Greenways system near the splash pad and West Granite Creek Park, wooden bridges on the Flume Trail near Watson Dam, and the Granite Gardens bridge over Granite Creek
- Better condition, according to the city: the Peavine Trail from Sundog Ranch Road, most Granite Dells trails, and Willow Lake South trails
This Yavapai County flood recovery update also warns people to stay off saturated or signed-closed trails. Walking or riding them while they are wet can cut ruts and widen the path.
SR 89A in Oak Creek Canyon and the Flagstaff–Sedona detour
The switchbacks are still closed, with no reopening date. After the Nov. 1 flooding, ADOT reopened State Route 89A from Sedona to Slide Rock State Park, then opened about five more miles beyond the original Slide Rock closure, KTAR reported on Nov. 11 and the Sedona Red Rock News reported on Nov. 12.
- The highway remains closed from about milepost 387, just south of Pine Flats Campground (which is still inaccessible), to Oak Creek Vista at milepost 390.
- ADOT has given no estimated reopening date and has described a long-term closure while that damaged section is rebuilt.
- A Yavapai County flood recovery update would be incomplete without the detour: travel between Sedona and Flagstaff should use State Route 179 and Interstate 17.
- Parking along the repaired stretch of SR 89A is prohibited. The U.S. Forest Service water refill station at Harding Springs is out of service.
Well safety, home inspections and flood-damaged property
Treat a flooded well as unsafe until it is disinfected and tested. The Arizona Department of Health Services, in a Nov. 12 recovery guide, says that if floodwater reached a wellhead, the water should not be used for drinking, cooking, dishwashing or brushing teeth until the well is pumped, flushed, disinfected and tested for bacteria by an accredited lab. Bottled water or a rolling boil for at least one minute (three minutes above 6,500 feet) is the backup.
- This Yavapai County flood recovery update follows ADHS guidance: have electrical equipment and pumps checked by a qualified contractor before power is restored.
- Do not pump a septic tank while the soil is still waterlogged.
- Prescott property owners can report flood damage to Community Development at (928) 777-1405, option 1.
- Yavapai County is asking residents to complete an Initial Damage Assessment Form, or call the emergency phone bank at 928-442-5103, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., so the county can document losses for a possible FEMA individual-assistance request. Assessments are tied to a 30-day window after the Nov. 1 event.
The Yavapai County flood recovery update on housing damage is still unofficial and incomplete. At a Cottonwood town hall on Nov. 10, Emergency Management’s Ashley Ahlquist said the county was then tracking 22 destroyed homes, 83 with major damage, 65 with minor damage and 87 affected, and that those counts were still climbing, the Verde Independent reported on Nov. 12.
How to help, and where to get official alerts
Document the damage, then point help to the groups already on the ground. District 3 Supervisor Nikki Check, in a Nov. 10 note reported by the Verde Independent, asked residents to file damage assessments, call Team Rubicon for debris cleanup, and give through United Way of Yavapai County’s flood fund.
- Team Rubicon public line: 310-806-2684. Check said access, people with disabilities, families with small children, seniors and first responders would be prioritized.
- Donate to the Flood Assistance Fund promoted for United Way of Yavapai County; the fund page says 100% of donations go to flood assistance and recovery. The organization’s main donate page is also online.
- Sign up for Prescott Alert and Genasys Protect for official notices. The county phone bank is 928-442-5103.
Bookmark the city’s flooding page, save this Yavapai County flood recovery update, and check back as inspections and trail repairs continue. If you have a closure, a well-testing question or a volunteer opening that is not yet listed, send it to Bridge News for the next Yavapai County flood recovery update. Related recovery and safety posts include the Northern Arizona weather and flood alerts starter, and live under Yavapai County News and Public Safety & Emergency Services.
Citations and resource links
Every closure and safety step above comes from these sources.
- City of Prescott flooding and emergency information (updated Nov. 12, 2026, 2:37 p.m.)
- City of Prescott flood-recovery release (Nov. 4, 2026)
- Prescott Water Quality Dashboard
- ADHS flood recovery and cleanup guidance (Nov. 12, 2026)
- Sedona Red Rock News on the SR 89A reopening (Nov. 12, 2026)
