Awards for Environmental Excellence, presented at the annual awards banquet on September 10, rewarded efforts by communities, fi ms, organizations, and individuals for promoting sustainability, conservation, and preservation of Arizona’s natural assets. Waterrelated projects received a fair share of awards, which were presented by Arizona Forward, an organization created to mobilize support for the benefit of communities, the economy, and the environment. Of the 16 first place Crescordia Awards, Tucson Water took two: one for its Advanced Oxidation Process Project, which uses first-in the-nation technology to improve contaminant removal at the Tucson International Airport Area Groundwater Remediation Project, and a second for its Conservation and Education Program. The El Rio Design Guidelines and Planning Standards, developed through a partnership among the cities of Avondale, Goodyear, and Buckeye, Maricopa County, and the Flood Control District of Maricopa County, also received a top honor. Finally, Beyond the Mirage, a project involving, social media, the internet, television, and person-to-person communication to raise public knowledge and awareness about the complex world of water, won a Crescordia in the category of Environmental Education/Communication. Tucson Water also won an Award of Merit, for its Clearwater Recharge and Recovery Project, as did Pima County Regional Flood Control District, for Paseo De Las Iglesias, and the City of Phoenix, for the PHX Water Smart program. Phoenix also won for Phoenix Invests to Protect Water Supplies, an investment in protection of watershed forests.