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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
“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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
“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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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.
“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 ›
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 ›
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.
Elise Christmon leans in as if to tell a secret. “If you want to see something cool and unexpected, come see the Santa Cruz River. You think you have an idea of what… MORE ›
“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 ›
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 ›