Articles
The creek is calling - the Tanque Verde Creek, that is! It’s that time of year when the birds are singing, the cacti are fruiting, and WMG staff and volunteers are pumped for another season of restoring flow to our rivers through removing the invasive species, Arundo donax. If it’s your first time doing this important work or your tenth, we invite you to our fall Arundo...
Family Saturday is a great event for all ages, and we invite adults to bring out the kids and youth in their lives that like gardening and playing in the dirt. Learn all about native plants and how a rainwater harvesting basin can support them to create more habitat for bees, butterflies and other important pollinators! Understand how to create these green spaces in your own landscape to...
I made a promise to the RillitoTo help restore her flowsI visit her and talk with herI move, explore, reflect, and meditate alongside herShe shares her wisdomI hope to give her as much as she gives me The Rillito is my teacherShe embodies resilienceThe water is always there, even when we can’t see itRunning below the surfaceDoing her job no matter whatThe River speaks to us allAre we listening?-...
The Learning Center is in its final stages of construction, and the project has been fully funded thanks to donations from WMG donors as well as a 2nd gift from Arizona Lottery for $25,000.Thanks to everyone who helped us meet and exceed our capital campaign goal, including Net Zero Solar, Tucson Electric Power, Pioneer Tanks, and Arizona Lottery. Net Zero Solar donated solar panels as well as...
Virtual Event: There’s Hope for our Creeks and Rivers: Stories and Flow Data from WMG’s Flow365 ProgramThursday, July 27th @ 12pm - 1pmRegister HereAre you interested in learning about what is happening in our creeks and rivers? We are excited to share the latest trends on the flow in our creeks over the past few years and tell the story of our creeks and rivers. Join this ...
Do you want to team with others working for environmental justice? Do you care about equitable access to water? Docents are Watershed Management Group's volunteer ambassadors, both out in the community and at our Living Lab & Learning Center. Read more about WMG's Docent Program here. Applications are open until August 1st. ¡Bienvenidas a todas las personas que hablan...
Speak up for Tucson's Hydro Local Future: Comment on Tucson Water's 2100 One Water Plan by July 21st
Did you miss the virtual comment writing party? No sweat! We posted it to YouTube so you can still get the inside scoop, and still submit your comments. We’d love to see over 100 people submit comments and advocate for our rivers—that means you! Use this link or click on the photo to the left to view the recording. The One Water 2100 Plan is a comprehensive,...
Coder Dojo will be offering free week-long coding/gaming workshops at the Living Lab - drawing on WMG's work in water-awareness and 'hydrolocal' practices. Through fun activities – such as exploring the rain gardens, food forest, and other water conservation practices, telling stories, making games, and collecting data - participants will consider what each can do to make the most of the water we...
River Run Network Clean Up: Santa Cruz River at Irvington RdWednesday, July 19 @ 6:30pm to 8:00pmRegisterThe Santa Cruz River has a rich cultural and ecological history that grounds us in this watershed and the city of Tucson. There are stretches of the river where effluent flow is being released, and water flows year round, the Irvington Outfalls is another example of this. Located on...
Springtime has been an important fundraising season for WMG, as we raise funds to support our programs and at the same time raise funds to build our Learning Center. We are getting close to the finish line with both of these campaigns, and we’re reaching out to share the good news and ask for your support if you haven’t yet had a chance to donate.Kudos to the 275 donors who have given so far...
Flow365 New Monitor Virtual TrainingThursday, June 1st @ 5:30pm - 7:30pmRegisterWMG is searching for community members in Tucson and the surrounding area to help monitor flow in our creeks and rivers. These volunteers spend time all year round collecting data on the flow in our creeks and rivers, so if you love getting outside, this volunteer opportunity is for you! We are looking for...
Tucson, like many Western communities, historically over pumped our groundwater supplies and dried up our rivers. Yet in the last few decades some creek flow has returned in the Sabino and Tanque Verde Creeks, and some groundwater areas have stabilized thanks to conservation, restoration, and reclaimed water projects. WMG’s 50-year vision is to restore our heritage of flowing creeks and rivers in...
River Run Network Clean Up: Along Pantano Creek near Fort Lowell ParkWednesday, May 17th @ 6pm - 7:30pmRegisterGather together to care for and explore the Pantano Creek, right off The Loop. The Pantano Creek is an important riparian area in Tucson, fed by the perennial Ciénega Creek. While historically the Pantano would have flowed seasonally, it now primarily flows after rainfall and during...
Hi, my name is Julia and I am the River Run Network intern for Fall 2022 - Spring 2023. I started my internship with Watershed Management Group in August 2022 and my first Arundo pull was a warm September day. I remember seeing this invasive plant all around the Tanque Verde Creek, taking up so much space in the creek. It seemed like removing all of the Arundo from the creek would be impossible...
This year we’re celebrating WMG’s 20-year anniversary and working to build the infrastructure to launch us successfully into the next twenty years. Our goal is to raise $125,000 this spring in support of our hydro-local education, restoration, and policy work. We have just $22,000 left to reach our goal! Your donations are our largest source of revenue to fund programs like the River Run Network...
The Emerald Circle is our new giving group in recognition of donors who give $5,000 or more annually to Watershed Management Group (WMG). This is a growing group of donors, and we wanted to formally recognize these donors as well as invite new donors to this giving circle in honor of WMG's 20-year anniversary. Our goal is to welcome 20 donors into our Emerald Circle this year and grow this giving...
This year’s data tells us we had less days of flow throughout most of the city compared to 2021, due to less than average rainfall during both our monsoons and winter rainy season. However, some of the sites highlighted in the report had increased flow through our rainy seasons, and the city has added another effluent release site to the Santa Cruz river, upping flow days near South Tucson....
WMG’s Living Lab is demonstrating what a sustainable water future could look like – for homes and businesses across the West. Instead of depending on imported water, energy, and resources, we are harvesting nature’s abundance and wisely stewarding these resources. And now you have an opportunity to invest in that future, by supporting our Learning Center project. The Learning Center is...
My name is Andrea Troyer and I am the River Run Network Program Coordinator at Watershed Management Group. I moved to Tucson in August 2022 through a year-long volunteer program after graudating from college. I am from the East Coast in Virginia, and so many people asked me prior to leaving, “Why are you moving to Tucson to work with water? There’s no water there.” My knowledge of rivers and...
River Run Network Bike Ride: PFAS in the Santa Cruz River When: Thursday, March 28, 2024 | 4:00pm - 6:00pmWhere: From Tucson Heritage Santa Cruz Site to PFAS Treatment PlantRegister hereDive into the heart of Tucson's environmental stewardship on a bike ride that brings our community together for a cause that touches us all – the health of our waters. Join Watershed Management Group's...
Join us outside to learn how to plant your own rain garden at home on Saturday, September 16 from 8:00am - 11:00am. Rain gardens help capture rainwater, conserve city water used for irrigation, cool down sidewalks, reduce flooding, and provide habitat for bees, birds, and butterflies. After you attend a hands-on workshop, you can take home a complimentary rain garden kit which...
At the Living Lab we maintain our CTs on a weekly basis. All staff, interns and docents get a chance to learn about this important part of doing away with flush toilets.
A few days ago, WMG's Program Manager and Educator, Charlie Alcorn and Candice Rupprecht, Water Conservation Manager of Tucson Water, were interviewed by KGUN9, a Tucson's local news channel. They mentioned Tucson Water's Rebate Program and the monthly classes WMG offers for the community interested in conserving water and applying for a rebate.“Here you’ll see examples of all the...
WMG is one of three winners of the Colorado River Basin Water Scarcity Challenge, offered by The Gates and Walton Family Foundations. The selected organizations will work with Quantified Ventures (QV) – at no charge, thanks to grant funding – to design, finance, and scale investible, cost-effective solutions that deliver beneficial outcomes for Colorado River Basin ecosystems and communities.WMG...