1. a living river
Tracking changing Conditions along the effluent stretches of the Santa Cruz River
Eric Wieduwilt
Deputy Director of Engineering
James DuBois
Permit and regulatory compliance officer

3. 12,000 years of rich history Cloudy water, May 2013
Clear water, June 2014
Santa Cruz River near “A” Mountain – artist’s
depiction in the State of the Santa Cruz River

4. Santa Cruz River near “A” Mountain, 1904

5. Much of the streasmside vegetation along the SCR was cleared for farming beginning in the early 1900s, when the water table was near the surface. Agricultural pumping had substantially lowered the water table, eliminating river flows by the 1940s. In the 1950s, the first discharges of treated sewage to the river began.
Graphics: Pima County

6. Santa Cruz River near Ina Road, 2014
Tumacácori, 2015
Santa Cruz River near Ina Road, 2014
T. Moody

8. How do we document changes?
Pima County

9. Living River report series tracks improvements on river near Nogales
Effluent stretch in Santa Cruz County
water years
water year online summary

10. Living River reports expand to Tucson reach in partnership with Pima County
2013 Water Year
Baseline
2014 Water Year
2015 Water Year
2016 Water Year

11. Monitoring Programs Vary By Reach
Nogales Reach
Tucson Reach
Water quality
Friends of Santa Cruz River, ADEQ, National Park Service, Sonoran Institute
Pima County
Aquatic Wildlife
National Park Service, Sonoran Institute*
Pima County, Sonoran Institute*
Riparian Vegetation
Sonoran Institute
Groundwater
AZ Department of Water Resources, Sonoran Institute na
Flow Extent
Friends of Santa Cruz River, USGS
Pima County, USGS
Social Impacts (odor)
New Data Existing Data
*Sonoran Institute is coordinator for multi-partner annual fish survey

12. Santa Cruz near Tucson

13. Pima County’s Living River Project
$300,000 EPA grant to Pima County for a 4-year study, to document changes in wetland condition following treatment plant upgrades – EPA hoped for us to document a 1st ever before/after riparian assessment
Pima County (B. Powell) photo— to study the effects of treatment plant upgrades on the river and wetland habitat Pima
County got grant money from EPA and engaged a local environmental NGO to assist in generating a report card on the stream.

14. Pima County

15. ROMP Upgrade Completed
in 2013 for $620 million
The old Roger and Ina Road water reclamation facilities treated the sewage of over half a million people. They were burdened with treating over 50 miilion gallons of sewage a day. In particular the Roger Road facility was antiquated. ROMP upgrade completely replaced Roger Rd with a new Bardenpho WRF named Agua Nueva with capacity of 32 MGD, which also supplies reclaimed water to City of Tucson system. The old Ina Rd plant was converted into two Bardenpho systems with combined capacity of 50 MGD (renamed Tres Rios WRF). An interconnect pipeline allows sewage to be directed from Agua Nueva to Tres Rios. With the upgrade, an older plant at Randolph Park is now in cessation so that more effluent is generated at the two new plants.

16. ROMP UPGRADES CHANGE WATER QUALITY
To fix the effluent quality problem, Pima County upgraded to new treatment facilities. This slide shows some of the constituents and the removals expected of the new facilities. Nitrogen removal was the primary regulatory issue that drove the process, but removal of other pollutants – phosphorous, pollutants creating biological oxygen demand, and total suspended solids – has greatly benefited the effluent quality.
ROMP UPGRADES CHANGE WATER QUALITY

17. Study Reaches Three Rivers Cortaro Narrows Marana Flats
For our study, we divide the length of the effluent-dependent SCR into three reaches that reflect different land uses or other characteristics that can affect wetland conditions, including water quality. Photos of what these reaches look like follow– a mini-tour of the lower Santa Cruz River

18. Water Clarity – sediment transport indicator
Before
One of the most immediately noticeable changes is that the clarity of the water has greatly improved. The new treatment process is much more effective at removing nutrients and solids from the effluent, which improves the clarity of the water in the river. Another important change you may not have noticed is that the smell of the old Roger Road treatment facility no longer assails one as one enters Tucson on I-10. This makes being along the river much more pleasant.
After
Photos: Pima County

19. Water quality and clarity improved
Pima County
Pima County
Cloudy water, May 2013
Clear water, June 2014

20. Little to no ammonia
Ammonia, average mg/L

21. Sustained increase in recharge reduces flow extent
Flow In June
Dry Days
At Trico Rd
2013
23 miles
2014
19 miles 94
2015
16 miles
244
2016
22 miles
109

22. Increased Infiltration
Remnant of Clogging Layer ‘Schmutzdecke’
14,964 acre-feet in 2013
30,889 acre-feet in 2014
34,033 acre-feet in 2015
32,324 acre-feet in 2016
28,845 acre-feet in 2017
Tucson Water has reported a large increase in infiltration rates. In water year 2013, approximately 15,000 af infiltrated into the river bed. This past year, that increased to 29,000 af of effluent of infiltration. This effect has to do with the reduction in solids and nutrients in the effluent, eliminating the algal mat with trapped solids which is less permeable. The calculated infiltration does not include recharge during flooding events when recharge credits aren’t earned.
Pima County photo

23. Change Since Upgrade
Slide shows primarily the increase in recharge resulting from cleaner effluent and disappearance of the muck in the channel bottom.

24. Change Since Upgrade Outflow at Trico 11.6% ET 3.9%
4.0%
Cut to Aquifer 42.3%
Recharge Credits
42.3%

25. 2017 Data Compared to 2013 Decreased from 63% in 2013
Outflow at
Trico
18.2% ET
4.2%
Cut to Aquifer 38.9% .
Recharge Credits
38.9%
Increased from 17%
In 2013

26. Wetland plant cover reduced in drying sections
Live
Dead
Goodding Willow Cover
Pima County

27. Wetland plant cover varies with presence of water
2016
2013
2015
Trico Marana Road
Photos: Pima County

28. Increased Diversity
This chart shows the shift to increased diversity of MI species as the water quality improves. In 2014, 5 more families are added to the survey results. Importantly, Mayflies and Damselflies are pollution sensitive organisms. Such insects in the stream provide a food supply for fish.

29. Increased Fish Diversity
Western Mosquitofish
Black Bullhead
Common Carp
Bluegill Sunfish
Green Sunfish

30. Gila Topminnow returns after 70 year absence!
Sonoran Institute

31. 2017 – Return of the Native Fish
Gila Topminnow Returns Bike Ride Saturday, June 16, 8-10am
This year represented the first year with capture of a native fish species, the endangered Gila topminnow, captured at the Three Rivers stretch of the river.
Mix of Mosquito Fish and Topminnow

32. Minimal odor leaving the facility
Pima County

33. Make new discoveries and learn about riparian and aquatic habitats.
We are now linked up with a national arts and science program known as River of Words. This program allows kids from our region to learn about rivers in our region, and County has been a sponsor for over a decade. Many of these kids have never seen a flowing river before. This year over 600 students involved, thanks in part to EPA funding. The LROW portion of the project is conducted by County Parks and Rec Dept. They introduce K-12 school children to wetland habitats through a multi-disciplinary series of scientific field observations and testing of river water linked with artist-led poetry and visual arts projects. Kids get heightened learning from a left- and right-brain endeavor.
Make new discoveries and learn about riparian and aquatic habitats.

34. Water Quality & Aquatic Observation
Poetry,
Art,
Photos
Water Quality & Aquatic Observation
Pima County produces a brochure exhibiting the art and poetry, and these pieces are displayed in a traveling exhibit at public libraries. While LROW aspect of the project focuses outreach/education in the K-12 school system, it is also an effective means of reaching parents and other family members as our message travels home from school. A Living River annual report now features stunning artwork and poems from the LROW.

35. Summary River health improves Flow extent reduced Continued outreach
Community vision
Conservation priorities

36. Acknowledgements our FUnders US Environmental Protection Agency
Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department
Pima County Regional Flood Control District
Community Individuals

37. Living River Project Team
Evan Canfield, PC Regional Flood Control District
James DuBois and Anna Martin, PC Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department
Julia Fonseca and Brian Powell, PC Office of Sustainability and Conservation
Wendy Burroughs, PC Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation
Claire A. Zugmeyer, Ian Dowdy, and Amanda Smith, Sonoran Institute
Elizabeth Goldmann, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9

38. Living River Project Technical Committee
Plácido Dos Santos, retired water expert
Jennifer Duan, University of Arizona
Edward Curley, Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department (retired)
Eve Halper, Bureau of Reclamation
Akitsu Kimoto, Stantec
John Kmiec, Town of Marana
Kendall Kroesen, Tucson Audubon Society (formerly)
Michael F. Liberti, City of Tucson, Water Department
Christopher Magirl, U. S. Geological Survey
Jean E. McLain, University of Arizona
Brian Powell, Pima County Office of Sustainability and Conservation
E. Linwood Smith, Consulting Ecologist
Patrice Spindler, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
Juliet Stromberg, Arizona State University
Robert Webb, University of Arizona (retired)
Claire Zucker, University of Arizona