Tucson Water bringing life back to Santa Cruz River

TUCSON, Ariz. — The power of water: it has transformed a dusty canal into a growing wetland.

"We are a very water conscious community and we believe every drop of water counts," said Natalie DeRoock with Tucson Water.

Under the Santa Cruz Heritage River Project, 2.8 million gallons of water are added to the Santa Cruz River every day.

"The water is wastewater that has been treated by Pima County. Once the water is treated, it's not at a drinkable level, but it is at a level that can help replenish and restore the habitat here," said DeRoock.

Since 2019, the water has allowed plants, and other wildlife, to thrive. Just recently, around 600 Longfin Dace, a native fish species, were brought down to the river.

"Some species, like the birds and dragonflies, can fly in on their own and get there without our help. Fish species, obviously, need a little bit of help. They can't walk on land," said University of Arizona School of Natural Resources and Environment Assistant Professor, Michael Bogan.

Bogan helped capture the fish from Cienega Creek and bring them to their new home.

"As we're putting them in the river, we put them in one by one, or a few at a time. Immediately, once they were in the river, they started to form their schools and swim around. It was really fun to see them schooling back in the river," said Bogan.

Tucson Water plans to continue to help the Santa Cruz thrive. DeRoock said their investment in it will have long-term benefits.

"We want to ensure a great quality of life. As you can see here on The Loop, a lot of people use it. It provides a wonderful water amenity. We just want to encourage flourishing flora and fauna in the area," said DeRoock.

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