TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - Pima County is set to release its 12th annual Living River Project report, which details water restoration efforts in the Santa Cruz River.

The county has been working with the Sonoran Institute since 2013 to put treated wastewater back into the river, and Tucson Water joined the effort in 2019.

The project’s original goal was to create flowing water year-round and support wildlife habitats along the river.

The river was once home to flowing water year-round in the downtown Tucson area, but has been dry since the 1940s.

“The Santa Cruz River is the reason why Tucson exists,” said Claire Zugmeyer, an ecologist for the Sonoran Institute.

They’ve been trying to restore that important piece of history with two main goals: to raise groundwa

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