This report presents a general picture of riparian restoration in the Santa Cruz River basin, analyzing how and why various restoration projects were undertaken. In addition, the authors take a first step toward answering the question, "How can stakeholders of the different projects build a common vision of the river and a restoration plan.
Essentially an extension and update of the previously published study (April 2006) "Projects to Enhance Arizona's Environment: An Examination of Their Functions, Water Requirements and Public Benefits," a compilation of information on environmental restoration projects in Arizona, "Riparian Restoration Efforts in the Santa Cruz River Basin" focuses on a single river system. The authors performed new analyses and developed their results for a more refined understanding of the restoration project drivers and challenges on the Santa Cruz River. Project descriptions from the 2006 study were used as a base; most were updated with new information and a few new projects were added. The revised set of project descriptions is included as Appendix A.