Project Description

The Santa Cruz River, Paseo de las Iglesias Project is located in southeast Arizona within Pima County and flows through the City of Tucson, the 2nd largest city in Arizona. The study area boundary encompasses an area approximately seven miles long varying from 0.5 miles to 1.6 miles wide, and containing approximately 5005 acres. The Paseo de las Iglesias reach of the Santa Cruz River consists of that portion of the river, and it tributaries including the New and Old West Branch tributaries, extending downstream from Los Reales Road to West Congress Street. The primary problem along this reach of the Santa Cruz River is severe ecosystem degradation and loss of riparian habitat that has persisted since the early 20th century. The Recommended Plan is characterized by 1,098 acres of irrigated plantings of mesquite and riparian shrub on terraces above the low flow channel and in the historic floodplain with small areas of emergent marsh and cottonwood-willow habitat located at water harvesting features scattered throughout the project.