City of Tucson — Water, AZ

As part of our Multi-Service Agreement with the City of Tucson – Water (COT), Harris Environmental has conducted seeding and planting of native vegetation along the Heritage Project section of the Santa Cruz River (SCR) within Tucson, AZ. These efforts have supported the broader goal of habitat restoration and revitalization of the SCR after perennial reclaimed water was released starting in 2019. Distribution of seeds through hand-seeding were performed along wetland and dry portions of the river channel, while planting strictly included the placement of plants along the wetland areas. Plant species included a mix of native grasses, forbs, and small brush of which seed was collected in similar Arizona ecosystems to increase the chances of germination. We have recorded germination of plant species from our seeding efforts through our numerous vegetation surveys along the Heritage Project area of the SCR. Harris Environmental continues to support COT in their continued efforts of habitat restoration and native vegetation reintroduction as they continue to connect perennial stretches of the SCR within the urban Tucson area.