Grant helps local nonprofit clean up Santa Cruz River [Video]

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – A local nonprofit, the Sonoran Institute, is getting a grant from the state to help keep the Santa Cruz River clean.

The group’s goal is to restore the river and to do that, it will use the $1.6 million for five projects.

“One, an economic study to understand for the environment and the people, what is the Santa Cruz worth? The second is a riparian masterplan, so this will be looking at all possible restoration activities,” Sonoran Institute Director Luke Cole.

They will also be putting together a stakeholder group to look into all possibilities of infrastructure on both sides of the border, expanding their annual publication to continue keeping the community informed, and putting together a municipal planning workshop.

With many of these projects happening in Santa Cruz County, you may be wondering why we here in Tucson should care.

“That stretch of river has older trees, it’s a bit more established as a …