Water Resources Research Center

JUVER RESTORATION:Ärizonas Øft Neglected

t o;e;tipn

The inset shows land being cleared of exotic vegetation, aßgurative and literalgroimndbreakingfirst step in manj restorationprojects. Before the wetlands

in the main photo were restored, a thick growth of salt cedar was bulldoedfrom what was the historic confluence of the Gita and Colorado rivers. (Todaj c

confluence isfour miles upstream.) Part of the Yuma East Restoration Project, the channel was restored in 2005: bulrush grows in theforeground with

cottonwood and willow in the background. The Yuma Clapper Rail, an endangered ipecie, has established habitat along the channel. The Yuma Territorial

Prison and the Ocean to Ocean Bridge are in view. Photos: Fred Phillzs

Urbanization, channelization, ground-water depletion, irrigated agriculture, anda variety of other activities have signifi-cantly affected many of Arizona's rivers,and citizens are awakemng to the resultingproblems. In contrast to their ecologicallydegraded counterparts, healthy, well-func-tioning rivers and wetlands are some ofthe most productive ecosystems in NorthAmerica, providing habitat for wildlife,

Executive Publisher: Sharon MegdalAuthors: Susanna Eden, Joe Gelt,

Melissa LambertonLayout: Gabriel Leake

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

including many endangered species. Theyreduce flood peaks, are sinks for sedimentsand nutrients, provide water temperaturecontrol and groundwater recharge. Failureto protect the health of these systems canlead to loss of habitat and species, waterquality degradation, storm water manage-ment problems, and loss of recreationalamenities, among other issues.

Generally, there are three possiblegoals for efforts undertaken to improvethe condition of a damaged ecosystem:restoration, rehabilitation, and replace-ment. Strictly speaking, "restoration" isdefined as an attempt to create an ecosys-tern exactly like the one that was presentprior to disturbance. Reestablishing the

The University of Arizona

processes that sustained the predistur-bance ecosystem is an important partof this definition. Given the severity ofimpacts and resulting ecological declinesuffered by many of our rivers, true res-toration is simply not possible, and manyefforts to "fix" our rivers fall into therehabilitation or replacement categories.However, the term "restoration" is widelyused for any effort to improve ecosystemconditions, and we use this more generalmeaning in this issue of Arrojo.

At stake is more than just the hy-drological workings of rivers; humansderive emotional satisfaction from healthyrivers. Although difficult to quantify, thesatisfaction humans derive from viewing

ARROYO wwwsWinter 2008

H ce

YunaEast

FtoSaladoOesle

Tres Riosdat Norte

Ah aka yTb

Pre5erve

Et R

etas 5lE

n

EsperanzaRwrch

ossa Creekestorahoo

El Rved o Eghas

- .

y 4tL

LaReMea

ce

O2 iS rOOMOO

LakeFcavell

Santa FeRanch

State map in/h locations of river restoration po/ec/s

the beauty of free-flowing water, rich withnative vegetation and wildlife, should notbe underestimated. Acknowledgement ofthis emotional connection, in addition toother benefits, is generating interest in riverrestoration. Efforts te) restore Arizona riv-ers have been receiving more and more at-tention. The many projects completed andon-going in Arizona testify to a growingcommitment to the health of the state's riv-ers and streams.

Fixing the Santa Cruz RiverAstretch of the Santa Cruz ver onceflowed year-round as a shallow stream fromSan Xavier del Bac through Tucson acrossa wide floodplain. The braided, meander-ing channel vas lmcd with cottonwood-willow woodlands and mesquite bosques.Remnants of the "Grand Mesquite Forest"upstream of Tucson, locally dense bosquesdownstream, and the cottonwood galleryforests survived into the 1960s, but later dis-appeared completeh

Human settlement wrought these

iglesias encompasses almost l,1O() acresbetween I os Reales Road and CcngressStreet. The project proposes to reestablishmesquite and riparian shrubs in the historicfloodplain of the river, and cottonwoodsand willows at some tributaries, for anestimated cost of $97 million. Rainwaterharvesting basins scattered throughout theproject sire will concentrate water on newplantings of cottonwoods anti willows.Eventually, the new vegetation will serve ashabitat for wildlife and shade for trails andseating areas. JIll Rio Medio and Tres Riasdici Norte are two additional potential SantaCruz River restoration projects which, iffunded, would result in restoration fromCongress Street in Tucson to Sanders Roadin Marana.

Such river restoraticn efforts to remedydegraded conditions are occurring more fre-quendy throughout the state as citizens be-come increasingly aware of what is at stake

the health and survival of their water-ways. This greater sensitivity about the natu-ral condmons of rivers and the availabilityof new funding sources has prompted res-toration projects in every major watershedin the state.

Restoration Projects AreMany and VariedLike the rivers in the state, which vary inlength, flow and quality, river restorationprojects in Arizona vary greatly in size,

Many Arizona Projects Occur"Under the Radar"

The upsurge in rt cl testi r ition icvitiesnationwide has n.madc cataloging projects anenormous task. The National River RestorationScience Synthesis is attempting to synthesizelessons from many thousands of projects com-pleted in the recent past and currently under-way For the southu catin node of the NRRSSahich includes data on Anion-i s projects thedatabase contains almost 600 projects (198 inArizona), which may represent as little as 50percent of the ti tal number of projects in theregion, The studies that provided the basicinformation for this issue of Arrojo describeabout 30 ploJet to in Anion t st nue not rncluded ini the NRRSS daiabase.

2 Arroyo Winter 2008

changes. Irriga-tion diversions,groundwaterpumping, con-struction projects,and flood ccntrolmeasures alteredthe relationshipof the river withits floodplain.These changes,combined with theSouthwest's dy-namic climate (aridconditions punctu-ated by periodicfloods) resulted inchannel incision:the scouring ofsediment fromthe river channelthat changes thetopography ofthe channel frombroad and shal-low to narrow anddeep. Riparianvegetation border-

'liscussed in /liispiib/ication. ing the incisedchannel was left

high and dr\ Now groundwater levels aretoo deep to support riparlan vegetationeven in the flood channel and only a fewdesert shrub species have become reestab-lished there.

Dumping compounded theproblem. During the 1 950s, one mil-lion tons of garbage was depositedin and around the river in cavitiescreated by sand and gravel mining.

No longer a living river formost of the year, the Santa Cruz hasserved as a street, a shelter, even anillegal track for off-road vehicles.There is no better measure of theextent to which the natural condi-tions of this segment of the riverhave been altered than the fact thatwhatever water happens to flowwithin its banks is viewed as a nov-elty or worse vet, a nuisance. In aneffort to remedy the situation, riverrestoration plans are afoot to reclaimsections of the river.

One such project, Paseo de las

Winter 2008

The Santa Crag River in Tucson /ul aperennial flou' n'ith seconelary ,gro n/h of

mesquite and co/tonn'ood lining the channel alien this picture ives taken in i/ic earlj'

1900s. Photo:Ari gone Hzstorica/liocìety/Jíicson AHS no. 24868

scope and complexity in one project, arancher is managing his land to benefit theSan Francisco River in the Upper Gua Wa-tershed. In another, partners in the LowerColorado River Multi-Species ConservationProgram plan to create more than 8,100acres of new or restored cottonwood-willow, mesquite, marsh and backwaterhabitat. This will benefit six federally listedendangered species as well as 20 addinonalspecies. Partners in the MSCP include fivefederal agencies, the three Lower ColoradoBasin states, several Colorado River tribes,water and power contractors and otherstakeholders with interests in Lower Colo-rado River management.

Although the main goals of river resto-ration efforts are the same protecting Ar-izona's last, lush places, and returning othersto their original splendor - projects takedifferent paths to achieving their objectives.Many projects focus on reestablishing nativetrees and shrubs along a degraded riverbed,while others concentrate on pulling invasiveplants out. Some are large-scale construc-tion efforts, and some deal with the removalof previously installed structures or obso-lete dams. Sponsors of restoration projectsmight have the goal of restoring the histori-cal conditions of an area, or might take ad-vantage of newly forming habitats.

Costs of prcjects described in this pub-lication range from less than $100 thousandto more than $100 million; their sizes varyfrom less than 20 acres to several thousand.Some projects occur close to populatedurban centers; others take place in remoteareas that few people visit.

The many restoration pri jects, with

Arroyo 3

their variedcharacteristics,might be viewedas chapters inthe story ofrestoration workin the state. Thefollowing discus-sion focuses ouspecific projects- or individualchapters - topresent an over-view of the kindof restorationactivities occur-ring within the

state, each sharing the vision of securing avital legacy for future generations.

Ranchers Take OnSmall-scale Projects

hen Dick Kaler purchased his ranchin 2003 lie was noi aware of several envi-ronmnental problems on the property. Theranch, located on the San Francisco Riveriii Greeley County in the Upper Gua \'Gi-tershed, had been used for livestock grazingfor over 100 years. Primary grazing pasturesvere located along the San Francisco River.When it rained, runoff flowed across thepastures directly into the river carrying withit sediment and animal waste. To resolvethe problem Kaler got an EnvironmentalQuality Incentive pri gram grant from theNatural Resources Conservation Service tolevel his fields to reduce runoff.

Another problem confronting Kalerwere culverts, some large enough for a six-foot person to stand in upright, that draineda dirt road depositing the runoff onto hisproperty. Although the culverts were in-stalled to drain water to the river, they didnot extend to the river's edge; instead theculverts drained across the ranch's livestockfields, washing soil and livestock waste intothe river and breaking down river banks.

Kaler enlisted the support of the Gua\\iitershed Partnership to obtain variousstate grants, with the funds used to placethe culverts underground and to extendthem to drain directly into the river in areaswhere the banks are stable. With less sedi-ment and cattle waste entering the river andgreater bank stahilizauon, river condi lionsare improving. improved water quality willensure better habitat for the bach minnow,a threatened fish that lives in the river. Alsothe ranch will no longer be a major sourceof F. coli entering the river.

Since 1996 Nutrioso Creek in theWhite Mountains, which flows throughthe EC Bar Ranch, eventually reaching theLittle Colorado River, has benefited fromthe management practices of ranch ownerJim Crosswhite. Originally homesteaded in1882, the 400-acre ranch has a history ofovergrazing. The riparian zone along thecreek was non-functioning, and the turbidwaters of the creek itself were officiallyclassified as impaired by the Arizona De-partment of Environmental Quality.

Over the past decade, Crosswhite hasc( mpleted numerous government-recom-mended Best Management Practices. Hefenced off the riparian area from cattle andelk during the growing season, seeded thebanks with grass, and installed bank-stabiliz-ing structures, 11e aIse> drilled water wellsand installed a more efficient irrigation sys-tem, which allowed him to divert less waterfrom the creek to irrigate upland pasture.His actions significantly Improved the ripar-mn area thrc ugh the ranch.

Lower Colorado Program:A Vast UndertakingThe Lower Colorado River Multi-Spe-cies Conservation Program is a complexand multifaceted program. A coordinated,comprehensive, long-term multi_agency ef-fort developed between 1996 and 2005, theMSCP proffers a 50-year plan with a veryambitious agenda. its intent is to address

Arroyo, a single-issue newsletter, is published by the WaterResources Research Center, College of Agricultural and LifeSciences, University of Arizona, 350 N Campbell Ave., Tucson,Arizona 85719; phone: 520-791-9591; email: wrrc@cals.arizona.edu; web site: http://cals.arizona.edu/azwater

the needs of threatened and endangeredwildlife listed under the federal EndangeredSpecies Act and reduce the likelihood thatadditional species will be listed. The projectalso ensures the continuation of existingLower Colorado River water and poweroperations.

MSCP goals include creating more than8,100 acres of riparian, marsh and backwa-ter habitat along the lower Colorado Riverfor native species. Further, MSCP partnerswill work together on species recovery pro-grams for two listed fish species: the razor-back sucker and bonytail.

The MSCP covers an extensive area, in-cluding the Colorado River and its historicalfloodplain from the U.S. - Mexican borderup to and including the full-pool elevationsof lakes Havasu, Mohave and Mead. This isa distance of about 400 river miles. Currentconservation measures focus on the areafrom Hoover Dam to the international bor-der; the Grand Canyon may be included inthe future.

Yuma East Project:Collaboration Pays OffCollaboration among varied organizationsis often a key to the success of a project, asis demonstrated by the Yuma East Restora-tion Project. Begun in 1999 as a partnershipbetween the City of Yuma and the QuechanIndian Nation, the project has since grownto include private landowners, federal com-missions and public agencies, as well asarchitects, engineers and biologists. Projectmanagers say gaming consensus among di-verse stakeholders was as challenging as therestoration work itself.

Their common ground was the reedy,tamarisk-choked riverbank that runsthrough the citv Together, these groups cre-ated a project that stabilized the riverbanks,removed invasive species and establishedsalt-tolerant native vegetation. To date, 200acres of the project site along the LowerColorado River has been restored. Thesponsors are currendy monitoring the re-turn (if wildlife and endangered birds to theriparian area.

The work at Yuma demonstrated thatrestoration projects not only benefit the en-vironment, but also can provide a beost tothe local economy The project has provided$6 million dollars to Yuma's economy as

weil as creating more than 100 permanentand part-time jobs over the past six years. Anew growth industry is even being spawned.J SA Inc., a local landscaping company isdeveloping a new division specializing in na-tive revegetation efforts. Revegetation couldwell become a major industry within thenext few decades.

Surrounded by development, the YumaEast project focuses on improving the qual-

ity of life of Yuma's citizens. Before resto-ration work began, the 1,418-acre site hadat least 20 illegal dump sites and almost asmany transient encampments. Today bird-watchers and dog walkers come daily to anarea that, onl three years ago, most citizensavoided. Hiking trails, picnic grounds andopportunities for other kinds of passive rec-reation have brought the community backto the river.

River Restoration, a Collective EffortAde range of parties undermke river restoration projects. Sponsors of projectsinclude government, Native American tribes, non-profit organizations and universi-ties. Projects are designed and implemented to reflect each organization's mission andgoals.

In Arizona County Flood Control Districts are responsible for stabthzmg riverbanks and controlling erosion and typically undertake restoration strategies to mitigatedamage at project sites. Pima County Regional Flood Control District has been unusu-al m protecting and restoring functioning ecos stems separate from engineering projects. Non-profits like the Tucson Audubon Soci-et)' and The Nature Conservancy, concerned vith

ntaining ecosystems and preserving the valueof the natural environment, are usually projectmanagers. Native American tribes frequently citecultural and historical benefits as a major reasonfor initiating restoration work. Universities focuson scientific understanding and include strong re-search and education components when design-ing a restoration project.

Federal government agencies typically part-tier with local government entities or non-profitorganizations when they undertake restorationwork. This federal-local collaboration is a corn-mon characteristic of many of the projects inArizona. State agencies also collaborate in theplanning and implementation of projects Comrnîlhd volimleet an often an

Various entities provide funding for a range impwlanl pail of a ollectzve river

of projects. The Arizona Water Protection Fund restoratian hThrI. These volunteers are

supports riparian restoration projects in general n oikrn CII t/i \iorth Simpson Restora

while the US Bureau of Reclamation has money lion Prrjct Ver page 11

earmarked for the enhancement of wetlandsArizona s Heritage Fund Program provides $20 million each year divided between theArizona Game and Fish and State Parks Departments for parks trails wildlife cotiservarion and the preserauon of historic sites

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has a grant program spe-cifically for improving water quality through projects designed to control non pointsource pollution. ADEQ conducts water quality monitoring after implementation ofsome projects to determine success but otherwise its direct participation in projects isminimal.

The U S Arms Corps of Engineers is an unusual organization with both the ability to fund projects and the human resources to implement them The Water ResourcesDevelopment Act of 1986 authorizes the agency to participate in restoration projectsthat attempt to repair environmental damage done by previous Corps projects.

4 Arroyo \)ÇTinter 2008

Winter 2008 Arroyo 5

San Pedro River:Protecting the FlowThe San Pedro River in suthern Arizonaand the Verde River in the northern part ofthe stare are among Arizona's most preciousenvironmental rescurces. Last year, Amen-can Rivers placed both systems in its annual"Most Endangered Rivers" list. Groundwa-ter pumping threatens river flow in both re-gions, because thc aquifcrs that feed the SanPedro and Verde are critical water sourcesfor nearby cities, towns and farms.

The San Pedro River flows fromMexico into the United States through theMadrean Archipelago, also known as theSky Islands, running about 100 miles fromits headwaters in Canenea, Mexico, northacross the international border to its conflu-ence with the (dia River near Winkelman.Influenced by the biology of both theSierra Madre and the Rocky Mountains,the region has an unparalleled diversity ofwildlife. Christened by The Nature Conser-vancy as one of the "Last Great Places,"the San Pedro's riparian corridor is a havenfor 350 species of birds, over 80 species ofmammals, two native species and severalintroduced species of fish and more than 40species of amphibians and reptiles.

One of the last free-flowing desertrivers in the Southwest, the San Pedro isthreatened by groundwater pumping occur-rmg within the Upper San Pedro watershed."The narrows," a natural constriction inthe San Pedro River Valley located about10 miles downstream from the town ofBenson, divides the upper and lower basins,with the U.S. portion of the Upper San Pe-dro Basin south of the narrows. Groundwa-ter pumping and natural uses within the ba-sin result in more vater being taken Out ofthe aquifer than is being naturally recharged.Compounding the problem is the ongoingmulti-year drought. In July 2005, flow at theU.S. Geological Survey's gauge near Charles-ton, Arizona went dry for the first time inmore than a century of record keeping.

United in their concern about the river,local governments, agencies and communitymembers have banded together to form theUpper San Pedro Partnership, a voluntarywatershed association. A consortium of 21agencies and organizations, the USPP hasadopted the goal of sustainable groundwa-

ter management for the Upper San Pedro.The organization has been successful inachieving an impressive degree of coopera-tion and consensus in addressing problemsin the arca.

The survival and health of desert riverecosystems largely depend on whether suf-ficient base flow - groundwater flow to thestream from its alluvial aquifer is main-rained during dry seasons. When a streammeets this criterion, its flow is "perennial".To maintain the San Pedro River's base flow,a collaborative effort is underway to reduceor cease groundwater pumping throughpurchases of property and conservationeasements. Conservation easements arevoluntary legal agreements that protect theland into perpetui by limiting the propertyrights of current and subsequent owners.

In line with this strategy, TNC hasrecently purchased four conservation ease-ments in partnership with the Bureau ofLand Management, Fort Huachuca andlandowners along the Babocomari River, atributary to the San Pedro River. The U.S.Geological Survey identified the shallowaquifer underlying the Babocomari Riveras one of the most important contributorsto the San Pedro aquifer in the Upper SanPedro Valley. The easements protect 1,411acres and more than four miles of the river

NSan Pedro River

Pre ve

hugh unCuenega

0 10 20 MilesL I I

3 LinksFarm

* Thr Nnr

BabocomanRuver

'o N Ii

7iìe Nat,ire Conservancy projecis a/ollg the San

Pee/ro Rnei Map: í)an Marka, 17o i\Ta/ure

('onservauct

channel by restricting future developmentand vater use. Funds for the easements,which cost $5.5 million, were provided livthe National Park Service's Land and \terConservation Fund and Fort Huachuca.

Fort Huachuca spent $830,000 for tworanch easements, adjacent to one another, toblock development along the BabocomariRiver corridor. The Bureau of Land Man-agement purchased a third ranch easementfor $2.7 million that protects 674.6 acres,including three and one-half miles of theBabocomari River channel. The main objec-five of these purchases is to limit groundwa-ter use. Another easement will protect 487.3acres of grasslands that contain valuablewetland habitat by alh)wing the water tableto remain at or near the surface.

Previously TNC had worked with FortHuachuca to establish easements alongthe San Pedro River in the Palominas area,where the river crosses the border into theUnited States from Mexico. In that situa-tion, TNC bought property and obtained aneasement restricting groundwater pumpingand development (in other property alongthe river owned by the seller.

Purchasing and establishing easementsare a form of "passive" restoration. Passiverestoration seeks to remove disturbancessuch as excessive groundwater pumping thatdamaged the river system and have pre-vented it from returning to health. Wherepassive methods can be used, they are verycost-effective alternatives to more activerestoration efforts involving excavation,construction, irrigation and other costly ac-tivities to accomplish project goals.

Along the San Pedro River, TNCalso has been involved in projects takinga more active approach. One such majorreSte ration project involved purchasing theThree Links Farm: more than 2,000 acresof ranchland north of Benson. The proj-ect was a four-million dollar undertaking:$2,770,00() for acquiring the land in 2002and the remainder for restoration activi-ties, including fencing off the property andreestablishing native vegetation in the oldagricultural fields.

TNC is recouping the costs by dividingthe land into five parcels for private pur-chase and establishing a conservation ease-ment on the properties. The proposed fivenew properties can have only one house-

6 Arroyo Winter 2008

hold per parcel, and groundwater pumpingfor all five is limited to a maximum of 300acre-feet per year. This means that nearly4,200 acre-feet of water previously usedeach year by the farm has been "retired" andleft in the ground to bolster the San Pedro'sfaltering supply.

At the urne of purchase, the San Pedroflowed only intermittently on the farm andfor miles downstream. TNC purchased theproperty intending to restore and enhanceboth groundwater levels and surface flowson about 20 miles of the river. Tom Col-lazo, TNC associate state director, says, "Weturned off the pumps and we have seendramatic recovery of stream flo not onlyon the property but for quite a ways down-river as well, and subsequently a dramaticincrease in cottonwood-willow habitat andwillow flycatcher populations and a numberof other riparian related species."

Other restoration projects on propertyacquired by TNC along the San Pedro Riverinclude the San Pedro l'reserve and theBingham Cienega Natural Preserve. Theconsistency of the plan is crucial. Accord-ing to David Harris, Director of Land andWater at TNC, the rehabilitated areas will bevulnerable until the entire river is protected.Development upstream could threaten theprogress made on the Three Links Farm,but by buying and restoring threatened land,TNC is creating a patchwork of protectedplaces along the river corridor.

Santa Cruz River:Recovering a Lost Legacy

ÇTork along the San Pedro is focused onprotecting a functioning ecosystem. Mostother restoration projects in the state don'thave the luxury of working with a natu-rally flowing river. Most of the rivers thatonce provided green oases in the desertsof Southern and Central Arizona went drylong ago. Restoration projects in these areasoften focus on bringing back what has beenlíst.

The Santa Cruz River has long beena troubled river. In 1910, GEl'. Smith, arenowned University of Arizona hydrolo-gist, reported that the Santa Cruz River wasan "ever dwindling stream." By the time ofstatchíjod in 1912 the Santa Cruz River a

source of water for settlers, wildlife and

vegetation for thousands of years hadmostly ceased to flow

From its headwaters in the San RafaelValley in Arizona, the Santa Cruz Riverloops south into Mexico before reenteringArizona about five miles east of Ni gales.It then flows north-northwest to its conflu-ence with the Gua River near Phoenix.

()ne of the efforts to restore a segmentof the Santa Cruz River is the previouslydiscussed Paseo de las Iglesias project. (Seepage 2) Another segment of the Santa CruzRiver has benefited by what might be de-scribed as accidental restoration; it mightalso be described as a case of fortunate un-intended consequences.

In the 1970s, no one intended to initi-ate an environmental restoration project onthe typically dry Santa Cruz River north ofthe Roger and ma Road wastewater treat-ment plants. But the area is now vibrantwith life the result of discharging efflu-

River Science - InterdisciplinaryStudy Promotes Restoration1R...estoration projects being undertaken today stand tobenefit from strides made in the field of river sciencein the last several decades. River restoration science hasbeen defined as an interdisciplinary study, combining thesciences of hydrology, geomorphology and ecology andincorporating social sciences. River science teams studyrestoration projects to learn about the complex relation-ships among the many components of a livìng river. Theunderstanding provided by river scientists helps protectexisting healthy rivers and can be incorporated into de-sign, implementation, maintenance and monitoring ofprojects to bring degraded rivers back to health.

eut to a previously empty riverbed. Toda\this river reach receives an almost constantflow of 50,000 to 60,000 acre-feet of efflu-ent per year.

Impressive changes resulted. Willowand cottonwood have returned to line thebanks of the river, their branches filled withbirds' nests. Invasive species like tamariskand buffeigrass have also taken advantageof the dependable flows. Floods scour theriverbed, depositing new sediment andsweeping away the thick algal mats thatform in the nutrient rich vater. Like a natu-ral system, the river ebbs and flows with the

seasons, a variability that supports habitatdiversity.

Such heartening benefits, however, areoffset by some drawbacks. The elevated am-monia and low oxygen levels in the water,íi5 well as traces of chemicals that remainin the water after ut is discharged from thetreatment plant, make this river less thanideal habitat. Few invertebrates and almostno fish can survive. There are unansweredquestions regarding the environmental cf-fects of trace contaminants that remainin the water after it is discharged from thetreatment plant substances such as phar-maceuticals and estrogenic compounds.The band of riparian vegetation is narrowand crowds close to the water's edge inmost places, diminishing its usefulness towildlife. But the site is still a testament towhat cati be accomplished simply liv allow-ing water to flow once again in river chan-nels. Large-scale restoration proleets are

underway along the SantaCruz through Tucson,with plans to improveand extend habitat alongthese effluent-dominatedreaches (see page II).

also providesflow in the Upper SantaCruz River. The NogalesInternational WastewaterTreatment Plant at Calaba-sas in Santa Cruz Countyprocesses sewage fromNogales, Arizona andNogales, Sonora. About20 percent of the efflu-ent comes from Nogalesand Rio Rico, Arizona,with 80 percent comingfrom Nogales, Sonora. A

new treatment plant is being constructedat the same site as the older facility withcompletion expected in fall 2009. Treatmentgoals for the new plant include stringentsecondary treatment standards, nitrification-denitrifleation and improved disinfection.While at present effluent discharges into theriver average about 15 million gallons perclay, effluent discharge rates vary widely. Thedischarged effluent flows north over shallowalluvium recharging aquifers, supporting ariparian corridor, attracting tourists and in-creasing land values along the way.

Five miles upstream, however, the San-ta Fc Ranch restoration project will need topump groundwater to establish thc corridorof historic vegetation planned to trap sedi-ment and control erosion along this ephem-eral 1,200-foot section of the Santa CruzRiver. The project's spcnsors hope to repairthe damage from a 1967 flood and subse-9uent neglect, a goal made more challengingby drought and nearby water and land uses.

Rio Salado, Restoration inan Urban LandscapeLocation has a lot to do with the values as-sociated with a particular project. Designedgenerally to accommodate human interestand use, urban projects often have greatc1uality-of-life value. Ecosystems withincity boundaries, however, are often heavilydegraded; completely revitalizing the riveris neither practical nor p ssible given avail-able water supplies. Moreover constructingrestoration projects often depends on voterapproval. As a result, such projects ofteninclude civic amenities and opportunitiesfor passive recreation to attract voter inter-est, including hiking trails, picnic grounds,campsites, and river parks.

Examples of degraded urban riversinclude the Santa Cruz in Tucson, the Saltin Phoenix, and the Lwer Colorado whereit flows through Yuma. All three rivers nowhave major restoration efforts underway.Sponsors at these sites, for the most part,are nor tackling the Herculean task ofbringing back the river's historical condi-tions. Instead, they are focusing on what thecity's residents can gain from an improvedriparian ecosystem. Consider, for example,work being done alcng the Salt River.

A Sept. 26, 2007 Aikona Republic edito-rial described the sad state of affairs thathas afflicted many urban water\vays: "Formost of the Valley's modern history, we'veturned our backs on rivers. We've seen themas hazards that overflow their banks orhindrances that restrict development withsprawling floodplains. ... We've seen themas unsightly blemishes on the landscape,a place fit only for the coarse business ofsand and gravel or the dumping of old tiresand radiators."

The Salt River was once perennial,swelling during the springtime as snow

melted in themountaincuSparts of its water-shed. Before theRoosevelt Damwas constructed,gallery forests ofcottonwood andwillow lined itslower reaches forhundreds of miles.During the t\ven-tieth century, theriver was harnessedby dams, and itswater diverted foragricultural andurban uses in thegrowing Phoenixarea. The river'sflows becamesmaller, and thenceased; the watertable dropped. Th-day, only isolatedfragments of the original riparian corridorremain.

The Rio Salado Project scught to bringback the historic woodlands of cotton-wood, willow and mesquite. First conceivedliv james Elmore in the 1960s, the projectevolved over two decades to include 23miles of lakes, with a price tag of $2.5 bil-lion. When brought to voters in 1987, it wasoverwhelming defeated. Today's project, en-compassing five miles of riyer, and costing$100 million, is much scaled clown.

Project sponsors had to obtain waterto irrigate the new vegetation they plantedalong the riverbanks. (See more on obtain-ing project water on page 10.) Four years,76,000 trees and nearly 100 governmentpermits later, the area made a Cinderellatransformation from garbage clump tonature park. The dedication ceremony onNov 5, 2006, was attended by 800 people.Hiking trails are open daily and frequentedby varied users, from horseback riders to bi-cyclists to people in wheelchairs. Shaded bymesquite trees and willows, blackbirds buildnew nests among the cattails, while blueherons settle in pcols of water. \Vith thecommunity's approval, the river restorationwill continue in two subsequent projects,Rio Salado Oeste and Tres Rios.

¶

Rio Va/ado o//eri urban reside,uts rariou.c kiueis o/ recreatioa incluebai hikiiiç,

/ìo,iiehac/c. nidinç a/ui hirdura/ching. Ateo Ri0 1 alado enables chi/circuí Io i//ìeS/i

iute I/ic /usciaati/q cjua/dies 0/ ìesítei: iiìe aboie chi/circe are ohserrinçjish.

A Phoenix urban area restoration proj-ect now in the works, El Rio \\7iitercourseproject will be an amenity in the newlydeveloping West Valley along the GilaRiver. The plan is to develop a greenbeltby reclaiming a channel, restoring vegeta-tion along the river and creating a wetlandsarea. \Villo ironwood and mesquite treeswould line streambeds and two lakes wouldbe located adjacent to the Estrella MountainRegional Park. The purpcse of the projectis to create a natural and scenic area that willattract ccmpatible development.

Bingham Cienega NaturalPreserve, a Remote LocationCompared ti) planners of urban projects,sponsors of restoration projects located inremote areas are usually under less pressureto incorporate public use and economicgoals into restoration projects and cangive exclusive attention to environmentalrehabilitation. Such projects might providehabitat for threatened and endangered spe-cies, improve the quality or increase thequantity of water for fish and wildlife, (irprevent development from encroaching intoa unique and beautiful area. The benefitpeople derive from such projects depend(in their personal values and beliefs. Even if

Winter 2008 Arroyo 7

8 Arroyo Winter 2008

they do not have direct access to thearea, some people derive satisfactionfroni knowing that biodiversir andhabitat are being restored, protectedand preserved.

The Nature Conservancy, forexample, undertakes restorationwork with a clear mission in mind:To preserve threatened lands andwaters for the sake of the life thatdepends on these resources. ForTNC the functioning ecosystemalong the San Pedro River providesa rare opportunity to undo previousdamage and protect this endangeredplace from additional losses.

The remnants of five of therarest habitat types in Arizona canbe found on the Bingham CienegaNatural Preserve on the west sideof the San l'edro River. This 285-acre parcel of land was purchasedby Pima County Flood ControlDistrict n 1989 and given over toTNC's management. Historicallyused for ranching and farming, thefields lay fallow for over ten years,while the Bingham Cienega's vet-lands, sacatoti, mesquite bosques,and riparian forests retook the land. Effortshave succeeded in creating habitat for manyof the federally listed endangered speciesthat populate the river corridor, includingthe leopard frog and willow flycatcher.

Preserves like this one typically havelimited public access. TNC offers fieldtrips to the Bingham Cienega Preserve forstudents, local residents and members ofTNC and other groups by prior arrange-ment; unlike urban restoration projects, thisSan Pedro site is n(t normally open to thepublic. (See map on page 5 for location ofBingham Cienega preserve.)

Fossil Creek RestoredMost projects are designed to achíeve abalance of direct human benefits and ben-efits that accrue to the environment. FossilCreek, near Strawberry in Central Arizona,is valuable both as a unique water systemand as a recreational site for hikers and bird-watchers. Restoration work on h)ssil Creekwas initiated with the goal of restoring theecosystem in this rare and beautiful place,a goal that resonates with both human and

ecological values.In its heyda Fossil Creek was the

fourth largest travertine system in the world.Fed by underground streams, it ran year-round into the Verde River, Its waters richwith calcium carbonate from the limestoneaquifer below. Mineral deposits, buildingup year by year, polished the walls of thecanyon into a stepladder of waterfalls andpools. One observer noted the creek's Wa-ters were "so impregnated with mineral thatthey arc constantly building great round ba-sins for themselves, and for a long distanceflow down over bowl and bowl."

But the creek's consistent flow, so nec-essary to its native fish populations, alsomade it perfect for dams. By 1900, LewTurner, a rancher in the Verde Vallet hadfiled for the rights to the hcadwaters of thecreek. Six years later, construction beganon a power plant and a dam to divert thewater. Construction of the diversion struc-tures, accomplished in very rugged country,was an engineering feat of its da1 When asecond power plant was added downstreamin 1916, st) much of the water was divertedthat the creek no longer flowed except dur-

1/je Chi/dsponerpíaìit ì/ong side Fossil Cree, Restonrnon ?f FossilCreek /,ean iii 1999 when 4nona Public Service decided to decom-

/1//Ss/Oil its 1mo potier p/al//s opeoiting ylong the liver.

ing heavy rain.1Jnril rIse turn of this centur the

Childs and Irving power plants' useof the creek reduced the previouslyquick-running water to a trickle.When the Arizona Public Serviceassessed damage at the site in 1981,the' noted that witheiut reliableflows the creek's unique travertinesystem was in danger of being lost.

In 1999, Arizona Publie Servicedecided to voluntarily shut downthe power plants, which generatedonly 7 megawatts of power at fullcapacity and were generating 4.2megawatts at the time. Restorationwork took many years. A partner-ship, headed up by the U.S. ForestService and a Northern ArizonaU riiversitv research team plannedand implemented a series of restora-tion activities needed before flowwould be restored to the creek.Others agencies involved in therestoration effort included the U.S.Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service, Arizona Gameand Fish and the U.S. Forest Service.Their efforts included salvaging na-

tive fish, eradicating the exotic oiles, andconstructing a fish barrier to prevent exoticsfrom re-colonizing the area. The dam waslowered and diversions ceased in June 2005,restoring full flows to the creek.

This is the first watercourse in Arizonato have a maior vatcr retention structureretired. Since diversions ceased, the creek'snative fish population has increased tenfold.The Fossil Creek project is at the frontierof a growing movement to remove obsoletedams; lessons learned here are likely to beuseful for projects around the United Statesand the world.

The Fossil Creek story, like the storiesof other successful restoration projects,seems to have had a happy ending: a riverbrought back to life. Yet the natural andscenic conditions of the restored creekare attracting visitors, some of whom donot share the environmental values of therestorers. These users are careless and neg-tigent of the natural setting; makeshift trailsscar the landscape, and abandoned trash andhuman waste litter the area.

This has become an acute problem

Winter 2008 Arroyo 9

along Fossil Creek, in part because the U.S.Forest Service is having difficulty managingisolated back-country areas. A managementplan is needed to guide use. Forest Serviceofficials plan to conduct a wide-rangingpublic input process to devise rules to bal-ance protection of the natural area with hu-man access and enjoyment.

Meanwhile Fossil Creek illustrates theneed for continued care and vigilance toensure the natural conditions of a restoredriver are not misused. As is being shown atFossil Creek, the next step after renewingwater flow and natural habitat is to organizeefforts to mcnitor or protect what has beenrestored.

Tribal Projects: PreservingCultural and Historical SitesAnother human benefit ofwork is the preservation of culturally or his-torically significant sites. Projects sponsoredby Native American tribes are often initiatedfor this reason, including restoration workalong the Lower Colorado River.Quechan Tribal Interest in YumaEast Project

The Lower Colorado River, whichforms most of the border of Arizona andCalifornia, once supported 450,000 acresof riparian woodlands. The riparian cor-ridor was characterized by mesquite bisquesteaming with wildlife and cottonwoodstands filled with birds. Dams, water chan-nelization projects and invasive non-nativeplants dramatically altered the river's flowWithout the floods that once swept the Reaching ou

Restored Rivers Offer Varied BenefitsThe benefits derived from environmental restoration are

many and varied Some projects provide services that ben-efit people directly including flood management erosioncontrol recreationil opportunities improved water qualityand scenic beauty Other benefits are environmental suchas pre scrvin fish and wildlife species by protecting andenhancing habitit & s italizing i river corridor can someurnes res itiliic the loei.I economy as well bringing visitorsand incresine thi. salue of nearby properties Places ofcultuial or htoricaI s1iruicance can be presered for futurc generations tu sisir. Additionally, river restoration pro-vides opportunities for education and research. Differentvalues m is predominate in different projects

riverbed clean, the backwater channels filledwith sediment. Shallow wetlands dried up,invaded by tamarisk. Today, only 6,000 acresof cottonwood and willow remain.

The Quechan Indian Tribe dependedon the Lower Colorado River for their liveli-hood long before settlers began buildinga town called Yuma there. When the riverchanged, the Quechan way of life changedas well. As a major sponsor of the YumaFast project, the Quechan Indian Nationhopes to bring back their heritage alongwith the willows.

fAhakhav Tribal Preserve ProjectA similar project is taking place 130

miles north of Yuma on the 'Ahakhav Trib-al Preserve, a thousand-acre stretch of landestablished liv the Colorado River IndianTribes in 1995. In 1997, the Tribes beganrevitalizing the area, dredging out sediment-filled backwater channels and replantingtrees. Their intent was to develop a templatefor environmental restoration work all alongthe Lower Colorado.

The Ahakhav Tribal Preserve incorpo-rated monitoring and adaptive managementinto project design. For the first year ofgrowth, staff took careful measurements ofthe young trees from the base to the tallestup-stretched leaf, and conducted monthlybird surveys as conspicuous indicators ofenvironmental health. These consistentcheck-ups allowed flexibility as the projectevolved and, equally important, gave therestoration team the satisfaction of seeingits efforts blossom and flourish before theireyes.

t to the community was animportant aspect of theproject. During the firstyear of restoration work,project organizers tookover 300 youths canoe-ing on a river once slug-gish with sediment, pastfields that would soonhold stand after stand ofyoung cottonwood trees.Today, the Preserve hasexpanded to 1,300 acres,and restoration ficus-ing on the removal ofinvasive ramarisk and re-surgence of native treescontinues. The project

has become an inspiration for others; the'Ahakhav nursery now sells over 50,000trees each year for restoration work alongthe Colorado.Wa:k I-Iikdañ Site

Dramatic changes to Arizona's land-scapes have occurred within living memoryof Native American elders. Elders areanchors for tribal history, giving purposeand vision to restoration work. On the SanXavier reservation outside Tucson, theTohono O'odham community restored asection of the Santa Cruz by recreating awetland near the river channel and plantingmesquite, hackberry and desert willow onthe higher flood terrace. During the designof the project, tribal elders were consultedto gain insight into what the area looked likeduring their youth.

The work at the Wa:k Hikdañ site,completed in 2003, created a place fortribal members to walk, contemplate, andobserve wildlife that once populated theriver's banks in abundance. In a San XavierDistrict publication, Mark Briggs of BriggsRestoration said the Citizen's Steering Com-mittee considered the restoration effort tobe of paramount importance to elders andother community members who wantedto see a semblance of what the Santa CruzRiver used to be. Bringing back the land-scape also brought back a vital piece oftheir history.

Project Restores Riverbed,Secures BorderIn what might seem an unlikely partner-ship, environmentalists and security officialsare concerned about the blighted environ-mental conditions along the 23-mile stretchof Colorado River dividing Mexico fromthe United States south of Yuma.

Environmentalists view the dense,invasive, non-native, overgrown vegetationwithin the riverbed at Hunters Hole as pre-venting the growth of native mesquites andsvillows needed to provide crucial habitatfor wildlife and endangered birds includingthe Yuma clapper rail, California black railand bald eagle.

Security officials are concerned becausethe riverbed, thick with vegetative growth,offers good hiding spots for those seek-ing to avoid law enforcement authorities.

IO Arroyo

Degraded environmental conditions havecreated a high-crime area where smuggling,banditry and sexual assault occur withinconcealing vegetation.

Where environmentalists desire a re-turn to natural conditions, rich with nativevegetation and birds and wildlife, BorderPatrol officials vant a safety zone \vjthincreased visibility to discourage illegal ac-tiviucs. In this instance of complementaryobjectives, environmentalists and securityofficials are working together to garner in-terest and support for the project.

in an unusual description ofariverrestoration project, Yuma Crossing Natii)nal1-leritage Area officials describe the projectas a "security channel'' and "an innovationin homeland securim" They were highlysuccessful in gaining support from a widerange of agencies and organizations, fromthe Environmental Defense Fund and theSonoran Institute fc) the Border Patrol andthe Department of Homeland Security.

Expected to cost between $7 and 59million, the project would restore an ap-proximately 2.2-mile segment of river in-cluding 435 acres of wetlands. Fund raisingis expected to take about a year, with resto-ration work slated to begin within two rears.

Water Sourcesfor Restoration ProjectsThe essential ingredient of all river res-toration projects is of course vater. Whilesome projects are designed to maintainthemselves on existing sources (if water,most require additional irrigation, withsome tapping groundwater supplies. Someprojects focus on protecting or augmentingavailable water supplies, while others de-pend on ephemeral flows and rain.Surface Water and Central ArizonaProject Water

The concept of leaving \vater in a riverto support riparian habitat came late fc)

Arizona's water policies, after most waterrights had been claimed for other uses. Be-cause Arizona's system of \vater laws treatseach separate s circe differently, sponsorsmust sometimes work out complex arrange-ments to make use of groundwater, surfacevater or effluent for restoration. Obtainingthis water is critical for many restorationprojects because establishing new vegetation

typically requiresat least threeyears of irriga-tion.

\'Ça ter

froni rivers andstreams is al-

located by priorappropriation,meaning the firstuser to divert wa-ter and put it toa beneficial useobtains a priorityrighi, and thatright is to be sat-isfieci before anyother user has ac-cess to the water.The definition ofwhat constitutesa "beneficial use" lias evolved. Althoughthe Arizona Legislature added habitat forwildlife and fish as one of the beneficialuses iii 1941, it wasn't until 1976 that thecourt ruled this included a right for instreamflo\ and the first instream flow permit wasnot issued until 1990. Obtaining a permitfor mnstream flow allows users to leave theirallocation of water in the river rather thandiverting or consuming it.

The Bureau of Reclamation purchasedThree Links Farms easements as part ofa plan, in partnership with The NatureConservancy and the Salt River Project, tosecure instream flow rights on the river. Thepartners hope to secure \vater no longerused on Three Links Farm with permits forinstream flow in the San Pedro. The strategywill break new legal ground if it succeeds.

While securing flow in the river is oneof the most effective ways to revitalize anecosystem, project sponsors sometimesneed to divert surface \vater for their res-toration work. The Yuma East project, forexample, drew Colorado River water fromYuma's surface water allocation to irrigatenew plantings. The project design predictsthe eradication of invasive species in thearea will eventually leave more water in theriver than was there before the project be-gan.

Colorado River water delivered throughthe CAP canal is allocated hr contractswith the CAP and the Bureau of Reclama-

Winter 2008

Csrnp/thd

tIefirs1 to i/.rc C:Cntra/_-lTlgon(/ Project a'ater ¿7? fIJE rl(cSo)l ba.cin]or tipa/aa;)

resIor;/on. la jo//ow/a/I /ears or rni«h iS 50,000 aíre-/et of (4F water iras Pal

lo ,estoralio/i use oti i/ic reseri'al/on.

tim. The San Xavier Reservation has anallocation of CAP water as a result of theSouthern Arizona Water Rights SettlementAct. They were the first in the Tucson basinno use water diverted from the CAP canalfor environmental restoration. The \yaternow flows through a created stream andwetland. The Thhono O'odham communityhopes this water vill percolate through thesoil and mound on an impervious geologiclaver near the surface, creating a "perched"groundwater source for the wetland andriparian vegetation. The reservation hascontinued to use CAP water for subsequentrestoration efforts.GroundwaterUnlike surface water, groundwater inArizona is managed under the ReasonableUse doctritie. In effect groundwater userscan pump as much water as they can use, aslong as the use is not malicious.

Because the Reasonable Use doctrinewas established before the hydraulic con-nection between groundwater and surfacewater was fully understood, legal groundwa-ter pumping has at times dewatered riversand created conditions restoration projectsha\-e set out to remedy. At the saine timegroundwater has been a source of water forsome restoration work.

On the Bingham Cienega Natural Pre-serve, TNC worked out an agreement witha neighboring landlo\vner to punip ground-water from his wells for use as temporaryirrigation water. The pumped groundwater

i 2003, the lVa:k J-Izkdan i-ute on i/ic San Xavier Reservation was

WRRC Report Identifies Key Features of RestoAWater Resources Research Center report provides comple-mentary information to environmental enhancement studies andrestoration project reports by describing 30 projects throughoutArizona. Release of the report, Projects to Enhance A,iconac Enti-ronment: An Examination of Their Functions, W'ater Requirements and

Pub/ic Benejits, provided the impetus for devoting this Arroyo roriver restoration.

The study focuses on certain fundamental characteristics ofthe enhancement projects their drivers, sponsorship, benefits,water requirements and lessons learned. Drivers are the reasonsprojects were undertaken; most projects have multiple drivers.Drivers include providing habitat, economic development, floodprotection, environmental education and water quality improve-ment.

Sponsorship was determined to be an important factor inproject design and implementation Entities that sponsor projects holl) or in part, include city county state and federal agencies tribes, non governmental organizations private landownersand universities

V'ìned benefits resulted from the projects - 16 differentbenefits are identified - with all projects listing more than oneAll 30 projects included a hibitat value benefit, with the nextthree most often cited benefits being public use, environmentaleducation and flood protection.

Water use is an importict part of the study. The authorsasked: What is the source of the projects' water? Are unprotectedinstream flows a source? Arc water rights purchased? If so, atwhat cost? What pvc jccts get by without importing water?

helped to establish sacaton and new riparianwoodland vegetation including cottonwoodsaocI willows planted close to the wetlandwhere the depth to groundwater is onlythree feet.

The Preserve is located along the SanPedro River, a viable system with surfacewater flow and a shallow groundwatertable. Understanding depth to groundwaterhelped guide plantings at the Preserve. Mes-quites were planted in areas where depth togroundwater was more than nine feet belowland surface. Between the riparian vegeta-non and the mesquites, restorers sowedsacaton grass seeds to create a band of raregrassland. These gradients of the restoredhabitat reflect nature, with depth to ground-water determining the species of plants thatsurvive.

Restoration projects located within thestate's Active Management Areas confrontchallenges unique to the AMAs. The 1980Groundwater Management Act changed the

ration ProjectsFinally there is

a summary of les-sons learned. Theseare not just researchresults; lessonslearned are informa-tion, observationsand comments thatcan qualify as ad-vice. The authorsidentify the lessonsas the six P's in thepond: preparation,persistence, partner-ship, progress, pestsand post-construc-tion.

Funded by theU.S. Department ofthe Interior, Bureauof Reclamation,the publication waswritten by WRRCDirector Sharon B.

groundwater laws in central Arizona, estab-Ii shing AMAs where groundwater overdraftwas a problem. The Reasonable Use doc-trine was replaced by a statutorily definedpermit system with rules on pumping, Con-servation, new wells, and permitted uses.

Located within the Phoenix AMA, theRio Salado l'roject is located along the SaltRiver in an area where the water table hasfallen well below the root zone of riparianplant species. To achieve its goal of restor-ing vegetation along a river despite the factthat it long ago lost its connection with theunderlying aquifer, the pr ject will have torely on Irrigation to support new riparianvegetation.

To obtain the needed water, the Cityof Phoenix worked out a creative strategyinvolving the Roosevelt Irrigation District.Phoenix provides effluent to the District,which allows the District to reduce theamount of groundwater it pumps for ir-rigation. Through this transaction, Phoenix

Above is a before-and-after dc pi 'ion of Sweetwater

Wetlands. A valuable ccimp(cc c// of a recharge

facility, the Siveetwater Wet/ends, located along the

Santa Crut River in Tucson, coves multi/e usesincluding research, public education, recreation and

wildlfè habitat.

Megdal and graduate students Kelly Mott Lacroix and AndrewSchwarz It is available on the WRRC s web site http //calsarizona.edu/azwater/ Click "Recent Publications," CD versionavailable upon request.

acquires effluent "credits" that it can use topump water from the "area of hydrologicimpact" where the District's wells formerlypumped. Legally, this water is not consid-ered groundwater. The aquifer is contami-nated by agricultural and urban pollutants,and the water is not being used as a potablesupply because the cost of treatment wouldbe too high. Instead, it is treated to accept-able standards for irrigation and used to es-tablish cottonwoods, willows, and mesquitealong the Salt River riparian corridor.Effluent, Rainwater Harvesting at theNorth Simpson Restoration ProjectUsually considered a waste product, efflu-ent is often discharged from wastewatertreatment plants into convenient riverbeds.As described earlier (page 6), the result hasbeen to the advantage of resurgent ripar-ian vegetation. At the North Simpson site,20 and more miles downstream from thedischarge points of two treatment plants, ameandering Santa Cruz River flows with cf-

Winter 2008 Arroyo 11

f-lucnt. Historically an ephemeral section uftl-ie Santa Cruz, the arca now has an almostconstant flo'.; supporting cottonwm )OCI5 and\V1IIOWS where none existed historically

The goal of the North Simpson Res-toration Project is to take advantage of thecottonwood-willow habitat developing alongthe riverbed and to augment and improveit by reestablishing meso and xeroriparianvegetation in the very wide floodplain atthis location. This will widen the corridorof vegetation and increase its diversity andusefulness as habitat. 'X'ork began on the sitein 2000, when the Tucson Audubon Societystarted planting new trees, fencing out cattleand monitoring the bird species. Over thepast six years, the restoration team has seed-ed hundreds of acres along the riverbanks.Bell's circo, Bullock's oriole and yellow-hilledcuckoos, along with the ubic1uitous \vhite-crowned sparrows and many other species,have returned to the revitalized nparian area.

An agreement with the City of Tucsonallows the Tucson Audubon Society to useup to ten acre-feet of water per year to es-tablish native vegetation, but actual use iseonsistendy less. Eventually, the groundwa-ter irrigation system will he turned off andthe newly planted riparian vegetation willbe left to adapt on its own, dependent onvariable effluent flO\VS from the treatmentplants, rain and periodic storm water flows.

Sponsors of restoration efforts take ad-vantage of "free" water when they can, butthe producer of the wastewater may chooseto discontinue releasing it at any time. Ascities threaten to grow beyond the availablevater supplies, perceptions of the value ofeffluent are changing. EvenruaIl\ as techrìol-ogy improves and demand increases, it willbecome a valuable commodity for manynon-potable uses. Some cities are even con-sidering advanced treatment of wastewaterfor potable use in the future.

if the effluent flows at North Simpsonare ever diverted for another use, it is likelythat many of the cottonwoods and willowswill lose theirtenuous holdon life. ButAnn Audrey,the formerproject man-ager, pointsto the naturalephemeral- c inJliçIJt (it

itv of riparian corridors in thedesert, where destructive floodsand prolonged droughts arenatural hazards. Audrey says,"Regardless of how changesmight alter habitat in the future, the siteright now is serving as a habitat for numer-ous birds and other wildlife." For her, thevalue of putting the effluent stream to gooduse, despite its transitory nature, outweighswhatever changes might occur ater on. Inaddition, the floodplain plantings, a wide va-nety of meso and zero riparian vegetation,will remain viable even without effluent.

The Tucson Audubon Society supple-mented the effluent suppiv at the site withrainwater harvesting. Staff and volunteersnestled new] planted trees into shallowbasins antI designed raised berms andswales to direct both temporary irrigationand periodic rainfall to the vegetation's bestadvantage. These earthworks increase thechances that the vegetation will survive afterthe irrigation is turned off.

Another Santa Cruz River restorationproject, Esperanza Ranch, also flows withreleased effluent and storm water. Accord-ing to an agreement entered into by the pre-vious owners, both surface water diversionsand groundwater pumping are prohibited onthe site. As a result, the Tucson AudubonSociety faces the challenge and opportunityof establishing new vegetation without theadvantage of irrigation water. Seedlings,planted beginning ìn the fall of 2006, willdepend on rainwater harvesting as the solewater source.

Conserve-to-EnhanceRecent1) Andrew Schwarz, former Uni-versity of Arizona student, and SharonMegdal, director of the UA Water Resourc-es Research Center, developed an innovativestrategy to obtain water for environmentalor restoration projects. The voluntaryprogram involves municipal water custom-

a faisi Restora/zan Jrojct.

U.S. BuRec Supports NewsletterThe WRRC thanks the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation forassistance in the preparation of this edition of Arroyo.

ers paying for water they have conserved,with the funds then used to purchase waterfoi- environmental purposes. Still in thedevelopment stage, this "Conserve to En-hance" strategy would require the voluntaryparticipation of water utilities. Programdevelopers hope to implement the programthrough a pilot project.

ConclusionThere is soniething tragic about a ile-graded rivet bereft of its natural features,its riparian vegetauon, fish antI wildlifegreatly diminished or even lost. It is firstof all an environmental tragedy when thenatural bounty of our rivers is damaged ordestroyed.

A human tragedy also unfolds becausea vitalizing connection between people andnature is severed. This tragedy is especiallypoignant because humans are usually atthe root of the destruction; their drive tocontrol rivers for economic gain takingprecedence over a desire to be stewardsof ecological resources. In the best of allpossible worlds, environmental anti humanvalues would nor conflict; rather they vouldbe complemeiitary

Natural resource management mustcontend with various interests, each withsomething at stake in an issue; the moreseemingly divergent the interests, thegreater the potential for conflict. Compro-mises, however, can always be reached. Ifthe preceding discussion noted that riversoften get short changed, it also illustratedthat many of Arizona's rivets are now ben-efitting from creative efforts to restore andenhance them. To use an aquauc metaphor- albeit one more suited to seaside thansemi-arid Arizona the tide is turning.

Rivers andtheír eco-systems arereceivingmuch need-ed attentionin the west-ero states.

12 Arroïo Winter 2008