A Journey Along the Santa Cruz River
For many of its miles, the Santa Cruz River is a dry sandy bed inhabited by tough desert creatures and vegetation. From headwaters in the Sky Islands of southeastern Arizona to its confluence… MORE ›
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Santa Cruz River Research Days Recap 2022
“The cultural history of the Santa Cruz is a rich, complex, and fascinating one. For starters, the Santa Cruz is the reason we can call Tucson home. And its waters have supported people… MORE ›
Santa Cruz River Ask Me Anything
Last month our Santa Cruz River team was invited to do an Ask Me Anything on the Tucson subreddit. The online group is focused on Tucson-specific issues and news and has more than… MORE ›
Water for the Santa Cruz River Ecosystem
Bringing water from the Conservation Effluent Pool into action. Good news broke last March at Santa Cruz River Research Days: Pima County received approval to permanently allocate water to sustain river flows benefiting… MORE ›
Nearly a Foot of Rain this Monsoon for the Santa Cruz River
By all measures, this year’s monsoon is making up for lost time. Historical records from the Santa Cruz River valley are checkered wildly. One year’s entry marks the river as “full of water”… MORE ›
Trash. It’s pervasive and pernicious.
It’s one of your pet peeves, and ours too! As every visitor to the Santa Cruz River knows, trash is a persistent environmental issue. Our community has long brought up trash as something… MORE ›
A Recap of Research Days
“Many different research projects are working in tandem to create a better environment for the natural world, but also for the one we carve out for ourselves.” Santa Cruz River Research Days brings together… MORE ›
An Update From Our CEO
The Colorado River Gives Life Now we must give life back to the Colorado River. The Colorado River has been a life source for centuries. As the most iconic river in the West,… MORE ›
Native Fish Make Six-mile Journey Down River
When you flush your toilet, you’re helping the recovery of native aquatic species. That may seem strange but let us explain. We’ve written about one of these species here before: the Gila topminnow.… MORE ›
Santa Cruz River Research Days to highlight improvements to infrastructure along the river
Virtual event on Thurs. March 25 and Fri. March 26, 2021 Scientists, artists, resource managers and community leaders will join to share Santa Cruz River research and conservation efforts as well as natural… MORE ›
Capturing our Annual Fish Survey
On November 13, Sonoran Institute coordinated the annual fish survey at four locations along the Santa Cruz to determine which species are currently in the river. This multi-partner effort included staff from Arizona… MORE ›
Helping Gila Topminnow Swim Home
In 2015, we found about a dozen endangered Gila topminnow in the Santa Cruz River near Tubac. If you had told me then, that in 2020 I would help catch hundreds of the… MORE ›
A Living River: Where Community and Nature Meet
Charting Santa Cruz River Conditions from Northwest Tucson to Marana – 2019 Water Year The Santa Cruz River near El Camino Del Cerro and flowing north into Marana, has been improving for almost… MORE ›
Celebrating the Santa Cruz River: What Makes Tucson Extraordinary
“This is what happens when a stretch of river comes back to life. There are many benefits. We should aspire to more wet stretches.” -Lauri Kaye, Tucson artist Nature has inspired human creativity… MORE ›
With Careful Planning, the Gila Topminnow Could Move Downtown
The diminutive Gila topminnow is a big indicator of change. This endangered fish, no bigger than your thumb, is native to the region but disappeared from the Santa Cruz River near Tucson decades… MORE ›
How Water Crosses Borders: Collaboration for a Binational Solution for Nogales Wash
Born a block from the border, Guillermo Valencia dedicates his time and career to benefit Ambos Nogales, the twin cities on either side of the U.S.- Mexico border. As a child, he remembers riding on… MORE ›
A Bridge Without Its River
It would be an easy site to miss, compared to nearby attractions like the de Anza Trail and the Santa Cruz River, but this cement ruin means something more to Diana. It was once a pedestrian bridge that spanned the wide Santa Cruz River, and Diana used to walk across this bridge to visit her grandmother on the other side. The bridge has been partially removed and is now almost completely forgotten; the river is no longer wide enough to need it.
Water Enough to Drink on the Ranch
“We need to be aware of the connection between our lives and our river. These lands, the river—they are my family’s roots. And, well, family is all we have” —Tony Sedgwick, rancher and… MORE ›
It Just has to be the Place that you Love
Connie Williams has traveled the world, but it’s the Sonoran Desert that calls to her: “I’ve been to places that are more beautiful, places that have a richer life. But I think when… MORE ›
Waste to Water: Modern Alchemy
Wastewater has been transformed into crystal clear, life-supporting water. John Light is the area operations manager at the Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant, and today he’s also the tour guide of this federal facility.