Kevin Hauser removes a rock from his sweet cornfield in Camp Verde. Hauser farms about 1,200 acres along the Verde, on parcels strung out from Camp Verde all the way to Chino Valley. He relies heavily on the river, taking water from the Eureka Ditch, one of the oldest irrigation systems still operating. He has followed the arguments about drilling wells along the Verde and about habitat. “A lot of people feel helpless about what to do,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Prescott or a construction company pumping water ahead of you. You’ve always gotta be watching upstream.”