The modern Santa Cruz River has flowed with clean, reclaimed water since upgrades in 2009–2013, but trash still lines its banks. Since 2021, Sonoran Institute, Pima County, and the University of Arizona have mapped where trash accumulates, finding Styrofoam, food-grade plastics, and fabrics as the most common debris—each with practical solutions. Community cleanups have brought thousands of residents to the river, strengthening support for creating the Santa Cruz River National Wildlife Refuge. The proposed refuge would protect rare open space in Pima and Santa Cruz counties while recognizing the river’s ecological, cultural, Indigenous, and economic importance.