Xeriscape Archive Available for Study at the WRRC

The WRRC has acquired an archive that documents activities of the Southern Arizona Water Resources Association (SAWARA) from 1987 to 2006. SAWARA was a community organization that advocated for water conservation and bringing the Central Arizona Project to Tucson. Specifically, the archive documents the evolution of the SAWARA Plant List of low-water-use vegetation suitable for desert landscapes. It also contains a record of submissions to the annual SAWARA / ADWR xeriscape contest and a collection of slides illustrating listed plants, as well as various xeriscaping and water harvesting retrofits in the Tucson area. The archive is a rich trove for historical research or other projects related to outdoor water conservation in southern Arizona. Anyone interested in viewing the archive should contact wrrc@arizona.edu.