Tucson Mayor to Attend May 9 Conserve to Enhance Atturbury Wash Dedication

(TUCSON, Ariz.) April 30, 2014 – Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild and Ward 4 Representative Shirley Scott will attend the Conserve to Enhance (C2E) program’s May 9 dedication event at Lincoln Regional Park’s Atturbury Wash, the site of the first-ever C2E-funded riparian enhancement project (9 a.m., 8280 E. Escalante Rd.).

Located in Southeast Tucson, Atturbury Wash is an important riparian area where a number of native plants have disappeared over time because of drought conditions and erosion of the wash bed. The Tucson Audubon Society recently restored the wash with the help of a Tucson C2E grant, funded by C2E participants who have donated money based on their home water savings, and by Tucson Water customers who checked the Riparian Enhancement and Open Space check box on their Tucson Water bills.

Volunteers planted 50 native trees and shrubs throughout the one-acre riparian enhancement site, created a raised trail system, and installed five rainwater harvesting basins and a drip irrigation system to provide water to the new plants. Irrigation water is provided by the City of Tucson Parks and Recreation Department, which manages Lincoln Regional Park. The recent restoration work also provided additional habitat for the many animals that make Atturbury Wash their home.

The completion of the enhancement project will be celebrated on May 9 at 9 a.m. with a dedication ceremony and ribbon-cutting event. Mayor Rothschild will participate in the dedication and congratulate the C2E program, the Tucson Audubon Society and the community on restoring some of Tucson’s most valuable riparian landscapes.

The Atturbury Wash restoration site is the first of several projects to be completed using funding from C2E grants since 2012. Current community enhancement projects include Henry Elementary, Mitchell Park, and the Northwest/El Cortez Neighborhood. These projects are near completion, and when finished, will help enhance the health of Tucson’s urban waterways and native habitats, as well as provide gathering spots for the community to learn about and enjoy our natural environment.

To learn more about the C2E program, visit conserve2enhance.org.

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