 The Bill Williams Wildlife Refuge near Parker is frequented by at least 335 species of birds.The city of Scottsdale, Arizona, formerly owned a ranch on the river and planned to export water from it.However, in 2006, Scottsdale sold the ranch & surroundings to the Phelps Dodge mining company, which operated it as a nature reserve, under a government program for companies to restore habitat in one area to balance environmental damage caused elsewhere.