2018 National Environmental Achievement Award
The Pima County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to recognize the Pima County Living River Project Steering Committee and its partners, Sonoran Institute and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, at its February 6, 2018 meeting at 9:00 AM.
The Living River Project Steering Committee consists of representatives from Regional Flood Control District, Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department, Office of Sustainability and Conservation, and Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation.
The Living River Project is being honored by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) with the prestigious 2018 National Environmental Achievement Award for Public Information & Education of the Living River annual report series. NACWA will recognize the Living River partners at its Winter Conference the evening of February 7, 2018 in Napa, California.
The Living River Project is a Pima County partnership with Sonoran Institute to evaluate and communicate to the public the environmental health and water quality of the Santa Cruz River in northwest Tucson and Marana. The project has been designed to collect and analyze environmental data before, during, and after the $600 million dollar wastewater reclamation facilities upgrades made by the County over the last decade.
The Living River annual report series captures the project’s collaborative efforts to demonstrate the benefits of improved water quality to the community. It has influenced public consciousness about the Santa Cruz River’s transition from an environmental liability to a community amenity. The Living River Project provides a model for evaluating wetland health and developing multi-benefit river management programs for effluent-dependent reaches in water-scarce regions.
The Pima County Living River Project Steering Committee is available for presentations to organizations and community groups. For more information on the Living River Project and the award-winning reports, please visit the Sonoran Institute website link.
Contacts:
Sonoran Institute
Corinne Matesich, Marketing Communications Coordinator
520-290-0828 Ext. 1105
cmatesich@sonoraninstitute.org
Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department
Caroline G. Vargas, Community Relations Manager
(520) 724-8719
Caroline.Vargas@pima.gov