The Sonoran Institute, Pima County, and Tucson Water have released the 2026 Living River report. The document details ecological restoration efforts along the Santa Cruz River between downtown Tucson and Marana during the 2025 water year.
The I-10 and Avra Valley Road Wildlife Ramp
A critical focus of the 2026 Living River report is the installation of a new wildlife ramp near the intersection of Interstate 10 and Avra Valley Road. According to Deirdre LaRochelle, the previous infrastructure consisted of steep cement banks that acted as barriers, preventing animals from safely entering or exiting the river. This lack of accessibility effectively severed wildlife traffic in a key corridor of the Santa Cruz River Management Plan.
To remedy this, the new ramp incorporates natural elements such as grasses, brushy piles of material, and rock rubble to provide necessary cover for animals. The site is secured by an 8-foot fence and includes a specialized escape route. This design ensures that animals are not trapped when water levels rise rapidly, providing a safe transit path regardless of the flow velocity.
11 Tons of Waste and the Microplastic Threat
While infrastructure improvements are progressing, the Santa Cruz River continues to struggle with significant pollution.. As reported by KGUN 9, Claire Zugmeyer of the Sonoran Institute noted that 17 separate cleanup events involving over 500 volunteers resulted in the removal of 11 tons of trash during the 2025 water year. To put this volume into perspective, Zugmeyer compared the waste to approximately 1,100 household trash bins.
The environmental concern extends beyond the visible bulk of the waste. The report highlights the danger of styrofoam and other plastics that break down into microplastics. These tiny particles do not disappear but instead integrate into the local food web,potentially poisoning the very wildlife the Sonoran Institute and Pima County are working to protect. The effort to combat this persists, with the Sonoran Institute scheduling its next cleanup for October 17 .
23 Miles of Year-Round Flow and the Return of the Gila Topminnow
The 2026 Living River report confirms that more than 23 miles of the Santa Cruz River in Pima County now maintain year-round flows. These flows are not natural but are sustained through reclaimed water releases. This artificial hydration is essential for aquifer recharge and provides a permanent habitat for native species that had previously vanished from the urban corridor.
This sustained water presence has enabled the Santa Cruz River Heritage Project to reintroduce native species to the region. The report specifically notes the return of the Gila topminnow and the Sonora mud turtle to areas reaching as far as downtown Tucson. This transition from a dry wash to a perennial stream represents a broader trend in Southwestern urban planning, where reclaimed water is used to simulate natural ecosystems in arid environments.
The Unidentified Sources of River Pollution
Despite the success of the 17 cleanup events, the 2026 Living River report leaves several critical questions unanswered. Specifically, the report does not identify the primary sources of the 11 tons of trash—whether the waste is arriving via storm drain runoff, illegal dumping, or wind-blown litter from the surrounding urban sprawl. Without identifying the origin of the pollution, the Sonoran Institute remains in a cycle of reactive cleaning rather than proactive prevention.
Furthermore, there is little detail regarding the long-term sustainability of the reclaimed water releases.. While the 23 miles of flow support the Gila topminnow and Sonora mud turtle, the report does not specify the energy costs or the water-rights implications of maintaining these artificial flows during periods of extreme drought. the current data provides a snapshot of success, but the long-term ecological cost-benefit analysis remains missing.
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