Greening Urban Watersheds is quickly becoming one of the leading urban conservation programs in Tucson, Arizona.  Based in the concepts of watershed management and permaculture, the program incorporates conservation and ecology into urban properties to create a more sustainable lifestyle that is integrated with the local environment. 

Watershed Management Group (WMG) works with homeowners, community groups, businesses, and schools through an educational approach that assists residents in designing and implementing a 'greening plan' to improve their household, neighborhood, work space, or school grounds.

Since its inception in the summer of 2006, WMG has initiated four different programs under the Greening Urban Watersheds umbrella program:

    1. Water Harvesting Demonstration Sites (started fall 2006)
    2. School Yard Water Education (started fall 2007)
    3. Water Harvesting Co-op (started spring 2008)
    4. A Neighborhood Model for Addressing Urban Stormwater (started summer 2008)

Improving Quality of Life

A major focus of the Greening Urban Watersheds program is improving urban water management. As water is integrated in every aspect of our lives, our program addresses water issues while improving our quality of life.  Here are some examples of how our program transforms the community:

• Reduces flooding of streets through capturing rainwater on site
• Addresses climate change through tree planting and building healthy soils
• Reduces the urban heat island effect through planting shade trees and increasing native ground cover
• Improves water quality through reducing stormwater runoff which carry urban pollutants into washes
• Creates wildlife habitat for birds, butterflies, lizards and other important species whose habitat has dwindled in urban areas
• Builds community and local knowledge by providing free or affordable workshops to adults and youth
• Significantly reduces amount of municipal water used for watering landscapes

Becoming a World Model

Through our Greening Urban Watershed’s program, WMG seeks to make Tucson the world’s leading model in water harvesting practices.  We envision other communities near and far looking to Tucson for working examples of integrated water harvesting solutions. In order to be a world model, water harvesting practices will need to be integrated with Tucson’s sense of place – the way we relate to and understand our local environment.  It will need to become an integral part of our K-12 educational programs, city codes, development practices, and landscaping design.  WMG will be the organizational leader to make this vision a reality.  

Integrated Solutions

The Greening Urban Watersheds program addresses the following elements to improve urban sustainability:

• Rain water harvesting
• Water conservation
• Grey water systems
• Erosion and flood control
• Native gardening and sustainable landscaping
• Home gardening and local food production
• Composting
• Energy conservation

Our long-term goal is to create a program adaptable to any urban area, therefore low-cost and low-tech solutions are a priority.