Two wastewater treatment facilities in Tucson feed treated effluent to the Santa Cruz River fostering abundant native vegetation and wildlife along with new recreational and economic opportunities. One hundred percent of the water flow in the lower Santa Cruz comes from recycled water during non-rainy times. Researchers at the University of Arizona sought to discover how varied water use in the city impacted water flows and how those flows impacted the diversity of aquatic insects in the river. What they discovered revealed a great deal about the health of the river and the growing number of species who call it home.
To find out more about research projects being conducted at the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment, visit snre.arizona.edu.
Producer/Editor: Mitch Riley
Videographer: Jordan Chin
Aerial Photography: Bryan Nelson, Michael McKisson
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.