A tiny native fish was reintroduced to the Santa Cruz River in Tucson on Wednesday, thanks to efforts to restore the river's flow using treated wastewater.
1 of 2 Betsy Grube, center, with Arizona Game and Fish Department, releases longfin dace fish into the Santa Cruz River at Starr Pass Blvd as Mark Hart, right, takes a video and Michael Bogan, a professor in aquatic ecology at the University of Arizona picks up more fish to release on March 23. Six-hundred fish were captured from Cienega Creek in Vail and were released near Starr Pass Blvd. and the Agua Nueva Water Reclamation Facility.
“It’s bringing some of the life back to the river that was here that disappeared because of the city’s growth in the first place,” said University of Arizona aquatic ecologist Michael Bogan, who has been monitoring the river restoration. “Personally I feel like we owe it to the species to give them a chance and bring them back down here.”
It took the team about 90 minutes to net all 600 dace from the creek’s much larger population of the fish, said Arizona Game and Fish Department biologist Besty Grube. About 500 of the dace went back into the river just downstream from the county’s Agua Nueva Water Reclamation Facility, near El Camino Del Cerro and Interstate 10. The rest were set free just south of the Starr Pass Boulevard bridge, where the city began releasing recycled sewer water in 2019 as part of its Santa Cruz River Heritage Project.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Santa Cruz County Approves Additional Eviction ProtectionsTenants and landlords in unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County received an extension on rent relief Tuesday, after the county’s board of supervisors unanimously approved added protections for those who still face pandemic-related housing issues.
Read more »
How to become a Tucson Skywarn Spotter for the National Weather ServiceInterested in becoming a spotter for the NWS? Now's your chance! National Weather Service trainers are offering free, virtual sessions for earning certification as a Tucson SkywarnSpotter.
Read more »
Taste of Tucson: Simple shrimp enchiladas are an easy dinner fixSetting aside the marinating time, these enchiladas go from prep to table in less than a half an hour.
Read more »
Tucson bookkeeper accused of embezzling $5M from businessesAuthorities say a longtime bookkeeper for two Tucson-area construction companies and a homeowner’s association in Mexico has been indicted for allegedly embezzling more than $5 million from the businesses.
Read more »
Tucson bookkeeper accused of embezzling $5M from businessesA longtime bookkeeper for two Tucson-area construction companies and a homeowner’s association in Mexico has been indicted for allegedly embezzling more than $5 million from the businesses, according to authorities.
Read more »
Tucson woman sentenced for smuggling undocumented immigrant, fentanylThe U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson has sentenced Yesenia Isabel Mendez, 40, to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Read more »