30+ historic photos of the Santa Cruz River through Tucson
The Santa Cruz River was the lifeblood of Tucson for early Native Americans, the Spanish Conquistadores and early American settlers. It languished for years and became dry most of the year as the water table dropped.
It also became a neglected trench and trash heap. City leaders envisioned something better. By the early 1970s, the Army Corps of Engineers was studying the feasibility of channeling the river and creating a park. In 1977, work began.
It is now an integral part of The Loop bicycle and pedestrian trails.
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Waterfalls on the Santa Cruz River in 1889 near Sentinel Peak in Tucson.
Girls in Santa Cruz River,1889-1890.
A bridge over the Santa Cruz River near Sentinel Peak in Tucson washed out during flooding in 1915.
Santa Cruz River at St. Mary's Road bridge in 1931.
The Santa Cruz River flows north as seen from Sentinel Peak in Tucson in the early 1900's.
El Convento along the Santa Cruz River, ca. 1910.
Flooding of the Santa Cruz River, Tucson, in September, 1926, from “Letters from Tucson, 1925-1927” by Ethel Stiffler.
Flooding of the Santa Cruz River, Tucson, in September, 1926, from “Letters from Tucson, 1925-1927” by Ethel Stiffler.
Aerial view of the Santa Cruz River as it winds its way through Pima County north of Cortaro Road in 1953. The county was considering a bridge at several locations, but had to contend with the ever-changing course of the river.
The Tucson Citizen wrote in 1970, "The Santa Cruz River is a garbage dump" and "even marijuana grows in it." City leaders were pushing to upgrade and beautify the channel. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was studying the possibility.
The Santa Cruz River flowing under the Congress Street bridge in August, 1952. The Garden of Gesthemane is in the background.
By July 24, 1970 the old bridge on West Congress over the Santa Cruz River had to go and be replaced by a new bridge.
By July 24, 1970 the figures from Felix Lucero's Last Supper had been on the west side of the Santa Cruz River for more than 20 years. City authorities had decided to leave it in place while a new bridge on West Congress Street was to be replaced.
Volunteers from the Tucson Jaycees and Junior Chamber of Commerce finish restoration of the statues and grounds of the Garden of Gethsemane along the Santa Cruz River in May, 1964. The statues were ravaged by vandals and weather. The city parks and recreation department worked with the volunteers. Artist Felix Lucero began sculpture project in 1938 and finished it nine years later.
Drought in June, 1974, turned the Santa Cruz riverbed into crunchy chunks of dried mud.
The Santa Cruz River flowing under Silverlake Road in August, 1970.
Children play in the Santa Cruz River near Speedway Blvd in August, 1970.
The Santa Cruz riverbed at Congress Street in November, 1967.
After years of waiting, crews began clearing debris and channeling the Santa Cruz River in November, 1977, and constructing what would become a 14-mile river park. The Speedway Blvd. bridge is in the background.
After years of waiting, crews began clearing debris and channeling the Santa Cruz River in November, 1977, and constructing what would become a 14-mile river park.
The Santa Cruz River looks peaceful flowing underneath Speedway Road after days of flooding in October, 1977.
Adalberto Ballesteros rides along the Santa Cruz River west of downtown Tucson in 1980.
The Santa Cruz River looking north from Valencia Road in July, 1974.
Junked cars and trash spill into the Santa Cruz River, looking south, just south of Grant Road in July, 1974.
Road graders scrape the Santa Cruz River channel between Speedway and Grant roads during bank stabilization construction in May, 1991.
Water surges in the Santa Cruz River at the St. Mary’s Road bridge on Oct. 2, 1983.
Flooding in Marana after the Santa Cruz River overflowed its banks in Oct. 1983.
A bridge on the Santa Cruz River northwest of Tucson washed out during flooding in October 1983.
Residents watch the surging Santa Cruz River rush past West St. Mary's Road on January 19, 1993.
Tucson firefighters are standing by and waiting for two kids floating in the Santa Cruz River on some type of object during flooding in July, 1996.
As the Tucson Modern Streetcar rumbles across the Luis G. Gutierrez Bridge, water flows bank to bank along the Santa Cruz River after a morning monsoon storm on July 15, 2014.
Johnny Dearmore skips a rock in the Santa Cruz River as reclaimed water is released into the channel at 29th Street as part of the Santa Cruz River Heritage Project on June 24, 2019. The release of effluent is the city’s first effort to restore a fraction of the river’s flow since groundwater pumping dried it up in the 1940s.
The Santa Cruz River flows Friday morning July 23, 2021 after an overnight monsoon storm passed over in Tucson, Ariz.
Betsy Grube, center, with Arizona Game and Fish Department, releases longfin dace fish into the Santa Cruz River at Starr Pass Boulevard on March 23, 2022, as Mark Hart, right, takes a video and Michael Bogan, a professor in aquatic ecology at the University of Arizona, picks up more fish to release. The 600 fish were captured from Cienega Creek in Vail.
Rick Wiley
Photo editor
Part of the Santa Cruz River runs red this week. Here's whyFor Star subscribers: Researchers will use a nontoxic dye to help show whether sunlight can destroy various chemical compounds in the Tucson river water, including pharmaceuticals and personal care products.
Tucson Water officials experiment with the releases of reclaimed effluent into the river.
Releases of reclaimed water into the river through Tucson's south side and downtown were shut down for up to three weeks for some mechanical upgrades.
The river is carrying year-round water for the first time in 70 years on the San Xavier Indian Reservation south of Tucson.
But scientists don't agree on whether an enormous mesquite bosque that died out along the Santa Cruz River 60 years ago will return on the same scale.
The river once again runs dry through most of downtown Tucson. The cutback may last a few months.
The renewed stream is drawing cattails, dragonflies and egrets, after Tucson kept the river dry since spring for sediment removal and other projects.
It's unclear if water releases for the Santa Cruz River Heritage Project will again attain the levels they reached when the project started in June 2019.
A dispute over whether to serve a Catalina Foothills home with Tucson water is a test of a newly toughened city attitude about trading water for possible future annexation, far from current city limits.
The river actually benefits from dry weather, which causes algae to bloom in parts of it. That blocks infiltration of the city's reclaimed water into the aquifer, letting it flow farther downriver even though Tucson Water isn't releasing any more water than before.
Her homemade cooking, like red chile con carne, attracted locals and tourists alike.
About $900,000 in federal funds will be used to bring water to the tribe’s lands for irrigation.
For Star subscribers: "Because of the dire conditions in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, any degree of reductions may be possible" in CAP deliveries, Tucson Water Director John Kmiec says. At some point, the cuts could be large enough that the city will have to pump more native groundwater than it has in years.
For Star subscribers: Work is slated to begin on a 256-unit apartment complex along the Santa Cruz River, west of downtown Tucson. The complex will have a riverwalk.
For Star subscribers: Some of the new discharges into the Santa Cruz may contain low levels of toxic PFAS compounds, but in much lower concentrations than already in groundwater under the river, officials say. Tucson Mayor Regina Romero is "very excited about creating another riparian area on the south side."
Federal and University of Arizona researchers added red dye to the Santa Cruz River on Tuesday morning as part of a study looking into sunligh…
Water doesn’t seem terribly dramatic.
Tucson Water will start releasing reclaimed water into the river Monday afternoon at 29th Street.
Growing up in downtown Tucson and the south side, Bertha Sanchez was an irregular visitor to the Santa Cruz River in the days that it carried …
Monday afternoon, a short stretch of the Santa Cruz River will live again, when Tucson Water releases reclaimed water into the channel at 29th…
Silver Lake played host to a flour mill, a hotel, ducks, boats, swimmers and fish until floods did it in.
If you're a fan of "The Crown" on Netflix, you know of Queen Elizabeth's sister, Princess Margaret. She toured the United States for three wee…