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Local organizations in Tucson have developed partnerships to establish the foundation for an environmental water conservation program. The Sonoran Institute, Watershed Management Group, and Tucson Audubon Society are working with the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center, City of Tucson, and Tucson Water to oversee the implementation of an innovative water conservation mechanism in Tucson. Funding for this project was provided by the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
The most recent press about the Tucson Pilot program is available here or here. A Tucson C2E flyer is also available here.
In July 2011, C2E hosted a WRRC Brownbag seminar on large-scale restoration needs and drivers in the Tucson Basin. Click here and here to see the presentations from the seminar.
The Conserve to Enhance Tucson Pilot program's goal is to link household conservation efforts with local riparian enhancement efforts to ensure the long-term sustainability of our water resources. The Conserve to Enhance Tucson Pilot will create a mechanism for water to be purchased and designated to the environment to enhance local riparian areas and increase groundwater levels. The Tucson pilot program was launched in January 2011 with 60 participants. Each participant is able to use resources provided by C2E staff to track their household water consumption as compared to historical use and donate some or all of their water bill savings to a fund for local riparian enhancement. To date, participants have saved over 437,000 gallons of water and have donated $477 to the C2E fund. This year, the C2E Advisory Board selected Atturbury Wash as the recipient site.
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Atterbury Wash, Tucson, AZ |
Businesses, homeowners, and residents who enroll in the program receive advice on water saving practices and technologies. In addition, the 60 pilot program participants received subsidies to install water harvesting features through the Watershed Management Group's Co-op program. Participants also have access to a conservation calculator, which will track their dollars saved through water conservation and link them with a donation mechanism. Revenues generated by the program will be used to purchase water and deliver it to local environmental enhancement projects as selected by a citizen-staffed Advisory Board.
You may join this innovative program by signing up to be notified about the next phase (please contact Emily Brott to do so) or by donating money to the Conserve to Enhance fund. The later may be done through the checkbox on your monthly Tucson Water bill or by going to the Watershed Management Group website. Local water stakeholders may also participate in the Advisory Board, which will meet monthly.
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