Trash. It’s pervasive and pernicious.
Posted May 14, 2021

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
Posted May 6, 2021

“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
Posted April 22, 2021

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
Posted March 12, 2021

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 ›

Capturing our Annual Fish Survey
Posted December 10, 2020

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
Posted December 1, 2020

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
Posted September 30, 2020

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 ›

A Bridge Without Its River
Posted March 17, 2020

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
Posted January 30, 2020

“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
Posted January 27, 2020

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
Posted December 12, 2019

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.

Coming to Understand Water in the Desert
Posted November 20, 2019

“You feel like it’s a place that people have had deep meaningful connections to for a long time.” —Roger Dorr, chief of resource management and park archaeologist at Tumacácori National Historic Park Roger… MORE ›

When You and the River Meet
Posted November 20, 2019

Numbers and dots on a map do not say everything about the river’s value. The community’s experiences and stories are equally important. —Amanda Smith, Program Coordinator Over the course of several months, I… MORE ›

Behind the Lens with Michael Bogan
Posted October 22, 2019

Michael Bogan is an assistant professor at the University of Arizona using his camera lens to change the way we think about aquatic and riparian research. Michael Bogan has dedicated his career to… MORE ›