SONORAN INSTITUTE INC
100 N STONE AVE SUITE 400, TUCSON, AZ 85701 www.sonoraninstitute.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE SONORAN INSTITUTE'S MISSION IS TO CONNECT PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES WITH THE NATURAL RESOURCES THAT NOURISH AND SUSTAIN THEM. WE WORK AT THE NEXUS OF COMMERCE, COMMUNITY AND CONSERVATION TO HELP PEOPLE IN THE NORTH AMERICAN WEST BUILD THE COMMUNITIES THEY WANT TO LIVE IN WHILE PRESERVING THE VALUES WHICH BROUGHT THEM HERE. WE ENVISION A WEST WHERE CIVIL DIALOGUE AND COLLABORATION ARE HALLMARKS OF DECISION MAKING, WHERE PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE LIVE IN HARMONY, AND WHERE CLEAN WATER, AIR AND ENERGY ARE ASSURED.

WATER ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION & MEXICALI (US & MEX COMBINED): THE OVERALL GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO RESTORE A FUNCTIONAL CORRIDOR IN THE COLORADO RIVER DELTA BY CREATING A NETWORK OF RIPARIAN AND ESTUARINE HABITAT SITES THAT WILL SUSTAIN BIODIVERSITY AND FACILITATE CONNECTIVITY OF RIVER FLOWS TO THE ESTUARY. THROUGH 2025, WE WILL COLLECTIVELY RESTORE AN ADDITIONAL 1,300 ACRES OF RIPARIAN HABITAT, WITH SONORAN INSTITUTE CONTRIBUTING 433 ACRES OF NEW HABITAT. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020 WAS TO MAINTAIN EXISTING RESTORATION SITES AND INITIATE NEW RESTORATION PROJECTS IN THE ESTUARY, RIPARIAN CORRIDOR AND LAS ARENITAS WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN AND WETLAND. - SECURED 11,000 ACRE-FEET OF TREATED EFFLUENT FOR THE HARDY RIVER/ESTUARY ANNUALLY. - DREDGED 11.76 KM, INCREASING RIVER-SEA CONNECTIVITY, ENHANCING 188.97 ACRES OF ESTUARINE HABITAT. - NATURALLY GERMINATED SALT GRASS COVER INCREASED 70%; SALINITY DECREASED 45%; ZOOPLANKTON DIVERSITY INCREASED 10%; COLORADO MUDSUCKER (NATIVE FISH) ABUNDANCE INCREASED 75%. - 2,446 PEOPLE OUTREACHED; ABOUT 150 DIRECTLY ENGAGED IN PROJECT ACTIVITIES. - STRENGTHENED INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY: INCREASING WORKSPACE, REPLACING AGING EQUIPMENT, HIRING NEW STAFF. - SECURE FUNDS TO CONSTRUCT A DEMONSTRATION TREATMENT WETLAND TO TREAT 30 LITERS/SECOND OF WASTEWATER AND BEGAN THE CONSTRUCTION DESIGN. - SONORAN INSTITUTE WAS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR NATURAL PROTECTED AREAS FOR OUR TRAJECTORY IN CONSERVATION. - COVID-19 HAS IMPACTED ALL PROGRAM ACTIVITIES, WITH A PARTICULAR IMPACT ON FIELD RESTORATION AND MONITORING ACTIVITIES. SINCE MARCH, THE ONLY ACTIVITIES UNDERWAY ARE LIMITED IRRIGATION AND TO ENSURE MAINTENANCE OF 550 ACRES OF PREVIOUSLY RESTORED HABITAT. THIS WORK IS DRIVEN BY A NINE-YEAR BINATIONAL AGREEMENT (MINUTE 323, SIGNED 2017) AND COALITION (RAISE THE RIVER), SUPPORTED IN PART THROUGH THE AGREEMENT'S FUNDING COMMITMENTS AND RESTORATION TARGETS. THE PANDEMIC HAS HINDERED PROGRESS AND DELAYED FUNDING.

SANTA CRUZ: SANTA CRUZ - OUR LONGEST-RUNNING PROGRAM (SINCE 1994) SEEKS TO RE-ESTABLISH A PERMANENT, FLOWING RIVER FROM MEXICO TO MARANA, NORTH OF TUCSON. WE HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTING THE BENEFITS OF PLACING TREATED WASTEWATER IN THE RIVER AND SEEKING TO DEDICATE THIS WATER AS AN IN-STREAM FLOW. 1. TWO LIVING RIVER REPORTS RELEASED, MARKING THE RE-LAUNCH OF THE NOGALES REPORT AND ADDRESSING THE NEED FOR A BINATIONAL AGREEMENT TO ENSURE WASTEWATER CONTINUES TO FLOW ACROSS THE U.S./MEXICO BORDER. 2. MAJOR OUTREACH SUCCESS: CREATED DRAGONFLY DAY, WHICH BROUGHT FAMILIES TO THE SANTA CRUZ FOR TOURS, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, AND ARTS. 3. NEW CONTRACT SUPPORT FOR PIMA COUNTY REGIONAL FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT'S 2-YEAR RIVER MANAGEMENT PLAN PROCESS. SI SERVED AS PROJECT ADVISOR AND LED THE PUBLIC OUTREACH. 4. LAUNCHED THE SANTA CRUZ RIVER TRASH PROJECT WITH THE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL NOTINMYRIVER CAMPAIGN.

RESILIENT COMMUNITIES AND WATERSHEDS: GROWING WATER SMART - THIS TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, LAUNCHED IN COLORADO, HELPS COMMUNITIES INTEGRATE WATER AND LAND USE PLANNING AND REDUCE URBAN GROWTH'S INCREASING DEMANDS FOR WATER THROUGH CONSERVATION, EFFICIENCY, AND RE-USE. THE PANDEMIC IS DELAYING SOME OF THIS WORK AND IS ALSO GIVING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO RE-THINK HOW WE DELIVER TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE. WE ARE WORKING ON OPPORTUNITIES TO PURSUE CORPORATE PARTNERS AND DIVERSIFY OUR DONOR BASE. - HELD OUR FOURTH COLORADO GROWING WATER SMART WORKSHOP. APPROXIMATELY 47 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE WORKSHOP FROM FIVE COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING BOULDER COUNTY, GREELEY/EVANS, COLORADO SPRINGS/EL PASO COUNTY, PUEBLO COUNTY, AND WELD COUNTY. THIS BRINGS OUR TRAINING COHORT OVER FOUR WORKSHOPS TO 34 COMMUNITIES, IN WHICH OVER 50% OF COLORADANS RESIDE. - ON BEHALF OF THE COLORADO WATER AND LAND USE PLANNING ALLIANCE, WE DEVELOPED A GUIDEBOOK FOR THE STATE OF COLORADO AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO ESTABLISH BASELINES AND TRACK PROGRESS TOWARDS SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION OF WATER INTO LAND USE PLANS AND POLICIES. - WE HOSTED OUR FIRST ARIZONA GROWING WATER SMART WORKSHOP. SEVEN COMMUNITIES PARTICIPATED (APACHE JUNCTION, AVONDALE, BUCKEYE, CASA GRANDE, FLORENCE, GILBERT, AND SURPRISE). THESE COMMUNITIES ARE ALL IN REGULATED ACTIVE MANAGEMENT AREAS AND ARE DEALING WITH UNCERTAINTIES AND VULNERABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR WATER SUPPLIES.

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