Sonoran Institute Inc

THE SONORAN INSTITUTE'S MISSION IS TO CONNECT PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES WITH THE NATURAL RESOURCES THAT NOURISH AND SUSTAIN THEM. WE WORK AT THE NEXUS OF COMMERCE, COMMUNITY AND CONSERVATION TO HELP PEOPLE IN THE NORTH AMERICAN WEST BUILD THE COMMUNITIES THEY WANT TO LIVE IN WHILE PRESERVING THE VALUES WHICH BROUGHT THEM HERE. WE ENVISION A WEST WHERE CIVIL DIALOGUE AND COLLABORATION ARE HALLMARKS OF DECISION MAKING, WHERE PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE LIVE IN HARMONY, AND WHERE CLEAN WATER, AIR AND ENERGY ARE ASSURED.

COLORADO RIVER DELTA PROGRAM (US & MEX COMBINED): THE OVERALL GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO RESTORE A FUNCTIONAL CORRIDOR IN THE COLORADO RIVER DELTA BY CREATING A NETWORK OF RIPARIAN AND ESTUARINE HABITAT SITES THAT WILL SUSTAIN BIODIVERSITY AND FACILITATE CONNECTIVITY OF RIVER FLOWS TO THE ESTUARY. THROUGH 2025, WE WILL COLLECTIVELY RESTORE AN ADDITIONAL 1,300 ACRES OF RIPARIAN HABITAT, WITH SONORAN INSTITUTE CONTRIBUTING 433 ACRES OF NEW HABITAT. THE SPECIFIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE: 1. MAINTAINED 538 ACRES OF RIPARIAN HABITAT IN THE LAGUNA GRANDE RESTORATION AREA. 2. INITIATED ON MAY 1, THE DELIVERY OF 35,000 ACRE-FEET OF WATER DELIVERED TO THE COLORADO RIVER IN MEXICO AS PART OF MINUTE 323 3. DEVELOPED AND LAUNCHED THE ONLINE PLATFORM OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION WITH THE FIRST COURSE "EXPLOREMOS EL DELTA DEL RO COLORADO" HTTPS://CURSO.SONORANINSTITUTEMEXICO.ORG 4. APPROXIMATELY 18,162 ACRE-FEET OF TREATED EFFLUENT DELIVERED TO THE HARDY RIVER/ESTUARY AND TO LAGUNA GRANDE FOR RESTORATION 5. 865 ACRES OF RIVER CHANNEL AND MUDFLATS IN THE ESTUARY ENHANCED 6. INCREASE IN THE ABUNDANCE AND DIVERSITY OF FAUNA IN THE ESTUARY WITH RESPECT TO THE BASELINE 7. 1,071 PEOPLE ENGAGED ON RESTORATION ACTIVITIES AND THOUSANDS INFORMED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DEDICATING WATER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

GROWING WATER SMART PROGRAM: THE GROWING WATER SMART PROGRAM ADDRESSES THE CHALLENGES OF AN OVER- APPROPRIATED COLORADO RIVER, AS WELL AS THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE THAT DO NOT LEAVE WATER FOR BOTH HEALTHY LANDSCAPES (ENVIRONMENT) AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES (PEOPLE). THE GROWING WATER SMART PROGRAM, OFFERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BABBITT CENTER FOR LAND AND WATER POLICY, PROVIDES TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE TO ESTABLISH PLANS, POLICIES AND PROGRAMS THAT CONSERVE MUNICIPAL WATER AND USE IT SUSTAINABLY IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS ARIZONA, COLORADO, AND SOON CALIFORNIA. IN OUR GROWING WATER SMART WORKSHOPS AND FOLLOW-UP ASSISTANCE, AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM OF LAND-USE PLANNERS, WATER PROVIDERS, AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ASSESS THEIR COMMUNITY'S WATER CHALLENGES, AND IDENTIFY AND IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES TO REDUCE WATER DEMAND IN NEW AND EXISTING DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGE WATER SUSTAINABLY AND HOLISTICALLY INTO THE FUTURE. THE SPECIFIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE: 1. CONCLUDED THE FIRST RESEARCH PHASE OF THE US-MX BORDER ASSESSMENT THAT SEEKS TO DETERMINE THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR CROSS-BORDER COLLABORATION ON WATER RESOURCE ISSUES. 2. PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE IN IMPACT, THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION'S MAGAZINE, PROFILING TWO AZ COMMUNITIES THAT PARTICIPATED IN GROWING WATER SMART. 3. HELD THE COLORADO GROWING WATER SMART WORKSHOP ON MAY 20, 25, AND 27 WITH TEAMS REPRESENTING THE FOLLOWING 5 COMMUNITIES: ARAPAHOE COUNTY, CITY OF LOVELAND, CITY OF THORNTON, TOWN OF ERIE, AND TOWN OF PAGOSA SPRINGS/ARCHULETA COUNTY. THE WORKSHOP WAS SPONSORED BY NORTHERN WATER AND FLUME. 4. HELD THE ARIZONA GROWING WATER SMART WORKSHOP ON JUNE 10, 15, AND 17 WITH TEAMS REPRESENTING THE FOLLOWING 5 COMMUNITIES: COCHISE COUNTY, CITY OF TUCSON, CITY OF PEORIA, GREENLEE COUNTY, AND THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT OF MARICOPA COUNTY.

SANTA CRUZ RIVER PROGRAM: SANTA CRUZ RIVER PROGRAM - OUR LONGEST-RUNNING PROGRAM (SINCE 1994)- SEEKS TO RE-ESTABLISH A PERMANENT, FLOWING RIVER FROM MEXICO TO MARANA, NORTH OF TUCSON. WE HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTING THE BENEFITS OF PLACING TREATED WASTEWATER IN THE RIVER AND SEEKING TO DEDICATE THIS WATER AS AN IN-STREAM FLOW. THE SPECIFIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE: 1. PUBLISHED TWO LIVING RIVER REPORTS IN 2020, ONE FOR UPPER AND ONE FOR LOWER SANTA CRUZ RIVER 2. MAJOR OUTREACH SUCCESSES: THE MOST WELL-ATTENDED SANTA CRUZ RIVER RESEARCH DAYS EVER WAS HELD IN MARCH 25 AND 26 AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, HAD REAL-TIME ENGLISH-SPANISH LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION.