Urban areas result in more runoff from rain due to hard surfaces where water can’t sink into the ground, such as roads, parking lots, roof tops, and sidewalks. When more runoff is generated, it can cause flooding and erosion problems downstream. A new stormwater management project located between downtown Sierra Vista and the SPRNCA will slow runoff from urban areas of the City, and allow more water to sink into the ground. Stay tuned for more updates on this innovative project that turns a potential problem into a solution!
Cochise County purchased 90-acres of land adjacent to the SPRNCA, at the border with Mexico, on July 22, 2025, to add a much-needed groundwater protection and recharge project to the existing network at that location. This reach of the river is losing flows in the river in early summer, during the driest time of year, when water is needed the most. Evaluation of the soils and hydrology will occur on the site in the coming year, to determine what water sources and management approaches could be most effective there.
The Cochise County Recharge Network is pleased to announce the publication of its 2024 Annual Report. Highlights of the report include a brief summary of how the CCRN works, cumulative benefits from CCRN projects, a map of current and future projects, and an illustration of what we are learning. The report was prepared for the CCRN by Resilient Rivers and Southwest Decision Resources. Read the full report.
During April 2025, the Board of Arizona’s Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA) provided final approval for the City of Bisbee’s request for $1,992,000 for the design, engineering, permitting and construction of a new effluent pump station at Naco Hwy & Purdy Lane, and the associated pipeline, from the San Jose Wastewater Treatment Plant. This is the first phase in the construction of the larger Bisbee Effluent Recharge Project-one of CCRN’s top two priority projects for construction, to sustain the San Pedro River within the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area. Thanks go out to Steve Pauken for spearheading this ambitious effort, along with many others, including Matt Gurney, and Mark Apel (since retired). These state funds will be especially useful going forward, as they can also help us leverage additional federal funding for the full build out of the project in the future.
San Pedro River, AZ (June 21, 2025) — This summer, The Nature Conservancy in Arizona (TNC Arizona) and more than 80 volunteers and partner organizations came together to map approximately 270 miles of the San Pedro River and its tributaries, stretching from its headwaters in Mexico to its confluence with the Gila River. This year’s effort marked a major milestone in the transition to digital data collection, with nearly the entire watershed mapped using tablet-based tools. This is an upgrade from handheld GPS units that improves efficiency, accuracy, and data management. Full adoption of the new system is expected by 2026.
The 2025 mapping also expanded photo point monitoring, a method piloted in 2024, which tracks environmental changes over time by taking photographs from the exact location at regular intervals. The goal was to focus on three key areas: spring identification in collaboration with Sky Island Alliance, beaver activity to be shared with Watershed Management Group in Tucson, and log jam locations to help TNC and partners better understand how the river functions. Log jams—natural piles of fallen trees and debris that form in the river—can influence water flow, sediment movement, and the growth of new vegetation along the riverbanks.
The San Pedro River Wet/Dry Mapping project is a long-running citizen science initiative launched by TNC Arizona in 1999 to monitor the health of the river system. Each year on the third Saturday in June, volunteers, scientists, land managers, and staff- armed with hats, sturdy shoes, sunscreen and water – walk the river and its key tributaries to record the presence or absence of surface water. This provides an annual snapshot of the waterway’s condition at the end of the dry season.
TNC Arizona is currently analyzing the 2025 data and anticipates sharing results later this year. Once available, maps will be posted at azconservation.org, alongside results from previous years.
Mapping efforts are made possible by the dedication of our volunteers and the support of our partners, including Arizona Game & Fish Department, Community Watershed Alliance, Naturalia A.C., Pima County, Salt River Project, Sky Island Alliance, TNC Mexico, U.S. Army’s Fort Huachuca, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. National Park Service, and the many private landowners who granted access to their properties.
We are deeply grateful for the continued collaboration and commitment to protecting and understanding the San Pedro River watershed.
Cochise County received the final piece of funding needed to construct the Coyote Wash Stormwater Management Project, that uses an innovative design to turn urban runoff into groundwater storage. This project is part of the regional Cochise Conservation and Recharge Network, which includes a total of eight sites along 25 miles of the San Pedro River. The project will recharge groundwater while protecting and enhancing flows in the San Pedro River, and improving water quality. “The San Pedro River is a one-of-a-kind desert river that plays a critical role in the habitat and ecosystem of the region,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “This funding isn’t just dollars and cents, it’s a down payment on the state’s long-term commitment to securing Arizona’s water future. Important water conservation projects like this, alongside efforts to reform rural groundwater management will bring real solutions to build a sustainable future across the entire state.”
Read more: Office of Governor Katie Hobbs
CCRN is pleased to announce the publication of its fourth Annual Report. Highlights of the 2023 report include a brief summary of how the CCRN works, cumulative benefits from CCRN projects, a map of current and future projects, and an illustration of what we are learning. The report was prepared by Montgomery & Associates, The Nature Conservancy, and Resilient Rivers in cooperation with the CCRN. Read the full report here.
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