Conserve to Enhance, Tucson
Make Your Water Conservation Efforts Count towards Improving Desert River Ecosystems!
The Tucson Conserve to Enhance Program (C2E) links water conservation efforts with watershed restoration to ensure that water conservation will translate into benefits for the environment. Participants implement conservation practices, track the money saved through water conservation practices, and then donate their savings to C2E.
C2E is managed by WMG, the Sonoran Institute, and the UA Water Resources Research Center. The funds generated by program participants are overseen by a community advisory board, which chooses the beneficiary river and stream enhancement projects within the Tucson community. Funds donated will go directly to the environment, to protect and restore desert rivers, create instream flows needed for a healthy ecosystem, and increase groundwater levels.
You don't have to be a participant in the C2E pilot program to support it. Consider donating today to help enhance our desert river ecosystem!
Pilot Program
Launched in January 2011, the pilot program includes 60 participants from a diverse spectrum of the Tucson region’s population (view informational brochure). Funding from the Environmental Protection Agency provided $500 - $1,000 subsidies to 45 of the pilot participants to install water harvesting features at their home through WMG’s Co-op program.
Once conservation features are installed, participants track their water use and make a quarterly donation to the Conserve to Enhance Program, based on the amount of money saved on their water bill. Funds generated from the pilot program will benefit the Atturbury Wash enhancement project.
More Information
For more information on this program, please email c2e@watershedmg.org or call 520-396-3266.
To Participate
Enrollment in the next phase of the program will begin in 2012. If you are interested in participating in the next phase of C2E, keep an eye on this site or sign up for our Tucson Action Bulletin.
Community Advisory Board Members
Christopher Avery, Emily Brott, Michael Carson, Leslie Ethen, Julia Fonseca, Mac Hudson, Kendall Kroesen, Grant McCormick, Candice Rupprecht, Lisa Shipek, Karen Wilson and Claire Zucker
Background Information
The Tucson Conserve to Enhance Program is a collaborative program run and developed by the Sonoran Institute, the University of Arizona’s Water Resources Research Center and WMG. This program is piloting the Water Resources Research Center's concept. Their research outlines the difficulty in securing water for riparian restoration projects and reviews some current efforts to link individual water users to environmental enhancement.
