In late 2023, blue skies and sunshine found Sonoran Institute staff, partners, and friends knee-deep in water for our 16th annual fish survey. Their objective: identify which fish species are currently observed in… MORE ›
Beside the looming company of A Mountain, Logan Phillips gathered us in the cool morning air with poetry to welcome and inspire a shared love and appreciation for the Sonoran Desert. Childrens’ laughter… MORE ›
“I know that a great deal of collaboration that went onto include so many entities – solutions to our environmental problems will only be solved through such collaborative actions. I like facts and… MORE ›
“[Luke] Cole says Pima County voters helped power the recovery by approving a bond issue that helped cover the cost but there’s still more work to be done on a historic river that… MORE ›
In February 2023, Sonoran Institute presented at the University of Arizona’s Water Resources Research Center’s Seminar Series. The Santa Cruz River has long been the backbone of the region’s natural and cultural heritage.… MORE ›
This is part two of a series – read part one here. Here, the journey continues of water along the Santa Cruz River’s course, taken up by a distant cousin by union to… MORE ›
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 ›
“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 ›
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 ›
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 ›