Our RiverWatch team received Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s 2024 Environmental Ambassador Award! Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) created this award in 2022, and it is the only award given to an organization, business, or individual outside of ADEQ. It recognizes exceptional environmental stewardship and sustainability. Audrey Ridge, ADEQ Community Science Coordinator (Lead for Surface Water) said the following, “For over three decades, the Friends of the Santa Cruz River’s RiverWatch team has demonstrated unparalleled commitment to environmental stewardship. Their water quality monitoring, wet-dry mapping, trash clean-ups and community initiatives have proven invaluable to protecting and enhancing Arizona’s precious water resources. Most notably, Friends of the Santa Cruz River supported a decade-long effort to upgrade the Nogales Wastewater Treatment Plant to better protect the health of the community. Friends of the Santa Cruz River’s holistic approach to environmental stewardship has made them a worthy recipient of ADEQ’s Environmental Ambassador Award.” Meghan Smart, ADEQ Community Science and Education Coordinator commented, “Their efforts led to the delisting of Potrero Creek for dissolved oxygen in the Clean Water Act Assessment in 2022. ADEQ is honored to work hand in hand with them in protecting Arizona’s natural resources.”
RiverWatch team meets monthly and monitors the river in five different locations between Nogales Wash and Chavez Siding. They submit their findings to ADEQ, the USGS and the EPA.
Read about the RiverWatch Team in Nogales International:
RiverWatch honored for water testing efforts
Volunteer retires after decades of monitoring Santa Cruz River
Learn more about ADEQ’s citizen scientist stream monitoring program:
Az Community Science Alliance Stream Monitoring