A Living River: Santa Cruz River Conditions Downtown Tucson to Marana 2026

Posted September 17, 2026 Download

This 2026 Living River report highlights recent achievements along the river in Pima County and includes Santa Cruz River conditions in the flowing reaches of the Santa Cruz River Heritage Project and northwest Tucson to Marana during the 2025 water year (October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2025).

In this edition of A Living River, see how collaborative stewardship is restoring the Santa Cruz River from downtown Tucson to Marana and strengthening its role in our region. Learn how the Marana High Plains project has stored more than 10,000 acre-feet of water in the aquifer, how a new wildlife ramp is improving movement across the river corridor, and how water quality improvements are supporting fish and other aquatic life. We also share updates on Gila topminnow and Sonora mud turtles, celebrate 25 years of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan and recognize the 577 volunteers who removed 11 tons of trash from the river in 2025. Explore these stories and discover ways to connect with and help care for the river.

To get more information on recent achievements and explore more data, view A Living River: Understanding Conditions along the Santa Cruz River. Living River reports were launched in 2008, when Sonoran Institute began tracking conditions of the stretch of Santa Cruz River in Santa Cruz County that flows year-round. The effort expanded in partnership with Pima County and the Regional Flood Control District in 2012, and the City of Tucson in 2020, to report on conditions in the flowing reaches in Pima County. Lea este informe en español.   

A corresponding 2026 Living River/Un Rio Vivo report highlighting results from Nogales Wash to Amado is also available in an English/Spanish bilingual format. Coming in December 2026 

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