The Santa Cruz River Heritage Project
Pictured Above: 10 Year projection of what the outfall of the Santa Cruz River Heritage Project may look like.
On behalf of Tucson Water, Wheat Design Group developed a series of renderings to help the public visualize the outcome of the Santa Cruz River Heritage Project. The project uses existing infrastructure to bring reclaimed water to the Santa Cruz River, between 29th and 22nd Street. A pipe, called an outfall, brings water from Tucson’s reclaimed water system down into the river channel where it creates a perennial flow; a narrow stream of water within the larger river channel. This purified reclaimed water re-enters our water system as groundwater recharge. In addition to recharge, the water flow supports native vegetation and wildlife while encouraging recreational activity. Construction began in early 2019.
Above: Base imagery captured via drone, the hand sketch, the 2 year rendering, and the 10 year rendering.
For more information on the project please check out Tucson Water’s page here.