Santa Cruz River Researchers' Day - an annual event allowing partners to share their work.
Click on a year to learn more on that year's event.
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
A great website to learn about other projects on the Santa Cruz River and in other parts of the American Southwest.
A Living River: Charting the Health of the Upper Santa Cruz River
Read more about this report series.
2010 Water Year - year three of annual report shows continued improvement on the Upper Santa Cruz River
2009 Water Year - year two of annual report demonstrates improved health for the Upper Santa Cruz River
2008 Water Year - baseline report charting the health of the Upper Santa Cruz River
Santa Cruz River Riparian Vegetation Map
Read more about this mapping effort.
Final Report - Riparian vegetation was mapped from the U.S. Mexico Border to the Santa Cruz County Line.
Map Booklet - view the mapping results for a specific location along the river.
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Where We Work Southwest Santa Cruz River Charting River Health
A Living River - Charting the Health of the Upper Santa Cruz River
Though at times unnoticed, healthy rivers perform numerous services that benefit people. For example, vegetation growing along the river naturally slows flood flows, improves air quality, and provides shade, while soils in the floodplain filter and clean the water as it recharges groundwater supplies that support local residents.
The Upper Santa Cruz River supports a culturally and ecologically diverse region from its headwaters in the San Rafael Valley, Arizona, through Mexico, and back into the United States through Santa Cruz County, Arizona. How do we know if this important regional resource is a healthy living ecosystem?
Numerous groups research and monitor conditions along the Upper Santa Cruz River. The Living River report builds on these efforts by promoting a better understanding of the health of the river among watershed residents, land managers, and policymakers.
How does the report work?
The report annually tracks 10 indicators grouped in two main categories that represent important components of riparian and aquatic ecosystems (see below). Monitoring results are summarized for a given water year (October 1 – September 30) and evaluated against an appropriate standard set by federal and state regulatory agencies or the scientific community. Many of the standards are set by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).
A Living River focuses on a 20-mile stretch of the Upper Santa Cruz River between Rio Rico and Amado, Arizona. This portion of the river can be roughly divided into three reaches (stretches of river): Rio Rico, Tubac, and Amado.
Many organizations conduct ecological monitoring along the Santa Cruz River providing the important data for the Living River report series. Read more about who contributes data to the Living River series.
Learn about the development of the Living River report by reading the Technical Report (coming soon).
Read the full report - A Living River: Charting the Health of the Upper Santa Cruz River
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| 2008 Water Year | 2009 Water Year | 2010 Water Year |
Click an icon below to view data from the 2008, 2009, and 2010 water years side-by-side
Aquatic Indicators
Riparian Indicators
