Survey: 

Your Opinion Needed on an

Arizona River Issue

Photo sequence showing reduced water at a location on the Santa Cruz River. At this location, 

it changed from having year-round flow to being dry except during stormflows. Open this survey 

to learn more and to submit your opinion on Santa Cruz River management.

Thank you for your participation in this important survey! 

Please write any comments you may have on this survey below. 

OMB Control No. 2090-0028 

Approval expires 6/30/2015

NOTE THAT PAGE NUMBERS ARE OUT OF SEQUENCE ON THIS 

REVIEW DRAFT ELECTRONIC FILE SO THAT IT WILL PRINT 

CORRECTLY DOUBLE-SIDED
2

THE SANTA CRUZ RIVER IN 

SOUTHERN ARIZONA

This survey asks for your opinion on how to manage the Santa Cruz River. It is 

important for authorities to hear from all perspectives, so please take the time to read 

the background and answer the questions. Your responses will help authorities select 

the best option. This survey is being sent to randomly selected households in southern 

Arizona.

Question 15: What year were you born? 19__ __

Question 16: Are you male or female? O Male O Female

Question 17: How many years have you lived in Arizona? ______________

Question 18: Including yourself, how many people currently live at your 

residence? ______________

Question 19: How many of those people are 18 or older? ________________

Question 20: Does anyone in your household belong to an environmental 

organization (such as Sierra Club, or National Audubon Society)? 

O Yes O No

Question 21: From the following options, do you consider yourself to be:

O American Indian O Latino/Hispanic 

O Asian O White

O African American O Other __________________________

Question 22: From the following income categories, please indicate the one that 

includes your estimated household income for 2012.

O Less than $20,000 O $80,000 to $99,000 

O $20,000 to $39,999 O $100,000 to $149,999

O $40,000 to $59,999 O Above $150,000

O $60,000 to $79,999 

We need the following questions to ensure votes from all groups 

have been fairly represented in this survey. 

23

The Santa Cruz River is in southern Arizona. It flows north through several 

communities such as Rio Rico, Tubac, Amado, Green Valley, Sahuarita, Tucson, 

and Marana. It also flows through Tumacácori National Park near the border with 

Mexico. The Santa Cruz joins the Gila River south of Phoenix which then joins the 

Colorado River at Yuma. People have lived in the Santa Cruz valley for

thousands of years, and water was found in the Santa Cruz River in some places 

all-year. Pumping groundwater over the last 80 to 100 years lowered groundwater 

levels and dried up many of the wet areas along the river.
 

 

 

 

Effect on my answers for questions 2 - 4

Very Low Moderate Very High

.

Wanting more visible flow and or 

more forest 1 2 3 4 5

Wanting to benefit river ecosystems

1 2 3 4 5

Wanting to improve recreational 

opportunities 1 2 3 4 5

Wanting to improve river conditions 

close to my home 1 2 3 4 5

Wanting to pay my fair share for the 

environment 1 2 3 4 5

Wanting to improve water quality

1 2 3 4 5

Wanting to improve river conditions 

for future generations 1 2 3 4 5

Wanting to minimize increases in

taxes or costs to my household 1 2 3 4 5

Other________________________

____________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

Since the 1950’s, treated wastewater has been released into the Santa Cruz River in 

two places, in the North near Tucson, and in the South near the border with Mexico. At 

first this was just a method of disposing of the treated wastewater. It was then found 

that the water is helping to provide wet river ecosystems, and associated plants and 

animals that are scarce in southern Arizona. The treatment is currently being upgraded 

to provide water of higher quality and to eliminate odor. Having wastewater of higher 

quality raises new questions about how to best manage the water. 

Question 14: How much did the following factors affect your answers for 

Q 2 to Q6? Check one box for each.

 

22

TREATED WASTEWATER IN 

THE SANTA CRUZ RIVER

3

NORTH

Treated wastewater now supports about 

23 miles of flow, and about 160 acres of 

forest along the river. The flow starts in 

NW Tucson near Prince Rd and I-10 and 

flows past Marana.

SOUTH

Treated wastewater now supports 

about 19 miles of flow, and about 490

acres of forest along the river. The flow 

starts in southern Rio Rico and flows 

past Tubac.

0 5 10 20 Miles

±
Activity Not Somewhat Very

Important Important Important

Walking 1 2 3 4 5 

Biking 1 2 3 4 5 

Safe Partial Body Contact 

with Water (wading) 1 2 3 4 5 

Safe Full Body Contact 

with Water (submersion) 1 2 3 4 5 

Birdwatching 1 2 3 4 5 

Horseback Riding 1 2 3 4 5 

Off Road Vehicle Use 1 2 3 4 5 

Flood Viewing 1 2 3 4 5 

Picnicking 1 2 3 4 5 

Other_________________

______________________

 

 1 2 3 4 5 

4 21

 About 10% of the treated wastewater evaporates or is consumed by plants and 

animals, the remaining 90% becomes groundwater. 

 Of the 10% consumed, most of it is used by trees. An acre of forest along the river 

requires about as much water as 44 people per year. An acre is almost the same size 

as a football field without the endzones. 

 

Question 13: Rate the importance of different recreational activities for 

your household along the Santa Cruz River or along its riverbanks

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE WATER?

10%

 90%

Evaporation, 

Plant Use, & 

Animal Use 

To Groundwater
5

Question 12: 

 How often do members of your household engage in recreation where 

rivers, streams, canals, dry washes, or arroyos are an important part of 

the experience? Examples are a car trip to a river, or walking to a river. 

Just write “0” if there are no such trips and go to Q13.

_____________ trips per year.

 How many of those trips are within a 2 hour drive of your home?

 _____________ trips per year.

 How many of those trips are within your city or community?

 _____________ trips per year.

 How many of those trips involve any portion of the Santa Cruz River?

_____________ trips per year.

WHAT DOES THE WATER MEAN 

FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?

20

 The constant release of treated wastewater supports a wet river ecosystem that used 

to be more common in southern Arizona.

 If a river does not have water year-round there is still an ecosystem, just not a wet 

river ecosystem.

 The wet river ecosystem along the Santa Cruz River includes cottonwood and willow 

trees, tall shade trees dependent on moist soil. This is one of the rarest forest types 

in southern Arizona.

 In the desert, wet river ecosystems contain a large concentration of plant and animal 

species. Along the wet areas of the Santa Cruz River, there is a variety of birds and 

small mammals, and minnow-sized fish have been found. 
YOU WILL BE ASKED TO VOTE ON THE 

FOLLOWING OPTIONS

 EXPECTED FUTURE: In the future, river flows are expected to be cut back to reduce 

the amount of water used by the river ecosystem. This would reduce the extent of river

flow and the wet river ecosystem to 12 flow miles and 45 forest acres in the North, and 10 

miles and 250 forest acres in the South. There would still be trees, plants, birds, 

mammals, and minnow-sized fish in the North and South. This option does not require 

new taxpayer costs.

 

6

 Note that there are less forest acres per mile of flow in the North than the 

South.

 In the South, treated wastewater results in 4 to 5 times more forest per mile of 

flow. This is because adding treated wastewater in the South allows tree roots 

to reach the groundwater which is relatively close to the surface there. 

 Refer to the photos on the next page to compare typical scenes of the North 

and South. Photos are also shown downstream of where water flows currently 

end.

Question 10: If you voted for an option with more Flow & Forest than

“Expected Future”, in Q2 to Q6, why?

CHOOSE ONE ANSWER THAT FITS BEST

O NEVER CHOSE more Flow & Forest than Expected Future.

O Prefer visible flow in the river

O Prefer more vegetation along the river

O Prefer both more flow and more vegetation along the river

O I was forced to choose Flow & Forest in order to get Full Body Contact

O Other reasons: ____________________________________ 

Question 11: If you voted for an option containing “Full Body Contact” in Q2 to 

Q6, why?

CHOOSE ONE ANSWER THAT FITS BEST

O NEVER CHOSE an option that included “Full Body Contact”

O My household is interested in recreational contact with the treated water

O I want other people to be able to recreationally contact the treated water

O I was forced to choose Full Body Contact in order to get Flow & Forest

O Other reasons: ____________________________________ 

 FLOW & FOREST: People can vote to maintain more miles of river flow and cottonwood 

and willow forest acres in the North and the South. This is in contrast to the Expected 

Future which cuts back flows and forest acreage. Again, the current condition is 23 flow 

miles and 160 forest acres in the North, and 19 flow miles and 490 forest acres in the 

South. Choosing Flow & Forest more than the Expected Future would mean an increase 

in taxes to pay for the water consumed by the larger wet river ecosystem. 

 .

 All options including the Expected Future include the new wastewater treatment 

upgrades that increase water quality and eliminate odor.

19
18

Question 7: Before reading this survey were you aware of the location of any 

part of the Santa Cruz River?

O Yes 

O No

Question 8: Before reading this survey were you aware that the Santa Cruz 

River has water all-year in the two places shown on page 3? 

CHOOSE ONE ANSWER THAT FITS BEST

O Aware of the water in the North

O Aware of the water in the South

O Aware of the water in both the North and the South

O Not aware of the water in the North or the South

Question 9: If you ever voted for “Expected Future” in Q2 to Q6, why?

CHOOSE ONE ANSWER THAT FITS BEST

O Never chose “Expected Future”

O No ability to pay

O Other options were not worth it to my household

O Prefer to make a donation than to increase taxes

O Don’t think the other options are realistic

O Other________________________

7

North With Water Flow North Downstream of Water Flow

South With Water Flow South Downstream of Water Flow

 Photos show the changes that could happen in the North and South if a part of the 

river no longer receives treated wastewater.
Location & Effect Expected Future Option A Option B

North 

Flow & Forest

12 flow miles

45 forest acres

17 flow miles

95 forest acres

12 flow miles

45 forest acres

North 

Full Body Contact No Yes Yes

South

Flow & Forest

10 flow miles

250 forest acres

19 flow miles

490 forest acres

10 flow miles

250 forest acres

South

Full Body Contact No Yes No

$

Cost to your 

Household per Year

$0

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

$50

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

$20

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

HOW WOULD YOU 

VOTE?

(CHOOSE ONE 

ONLY)

I vote for 

Expected Future

I vote for

Option A

I vote for

Option B

This concludes the description of the options. Different options for “Flow and 

Forest” and “Full Body Contact” are possible for the North and South. You will 

have an opportunity to vote on different options, including “Expected Future”.

Question 6. Given a choice between Expected Future, Option A, and Option B

for the Santa Cruz River, how would you vote?

17

 FULL BODY CONTACT: During stormflows, the water quality is not 

considered safe for any type of human contact. However, during lowflow times the water in the North and South is currently considered 

safe for wading. Water quality could be improved to be considered safe 

for full body contact such as submersion during low-flow times. This 

would require further controls on bacteria, which would mean an 

increase in taxes to pay for these controls.

 

8
Location & Effect Expected Future Option A Option B

North 

Flow & Forest

12 flow miles

45 forest acres

23 flow miles

160 forest acres

17 flow miles

95 forest acres

North 

Full Body Contact No No Yes

South

Flow & Forest

10 flow miles

250 forest acres

15 flow miles

385 forest acres

19 flow miles

490 forest acres

South

Full Body Contact No Yes No

$

Cost to your 

Household per Year

$0

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

$15

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

$20

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

HOW WOULD YOU 

VOTE?

(CHOOSE ONE 

ONLY)

I vote for 

Expected Future

I vote for

Option A

I vote for

Option B

Location & Effect Expected Future Option A Option B

North 

Flow & Forest

12 flow miles

45 forest acres

23 flow miles

160 forest acres

12 flow miles

45 forest acres

North 

Full Body Contact No No No

South

Flow & Forest

10 flow miles

250 forest acres

10 flow miles

250 forest acres

19 flow miles

490 forest acres

South

Full Body Contact No No No

$

Cost to your 

Household per Year

$0

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

$20

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

$20

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

HOW WOULD YOU 

VOTE? 

(CHOOSE ONE 

ONLY)

I vote for 

Expected Future

I vote for

Option A

I vote for

Option B

EXAMPLE VOTE 

questions will look like the sample below

16 9

Question 5. Given a choice between Expected Future, Option A, and Option B

for the Santa Cruz River, how would you vote?

If you prefer

Expected Future,

check here

If you prefer

Option A,

check here

If you prefer

Option B,

check here

 
Location & Effect Expected Future Option A Option B

North 

Flow & Forest

12 flow miles

45 forest acres

12 flow miles

45 forest acres

12 flow miles

45 forest acres

North 

Full Body Contact No No No

South

Flow & Forest

10 flow miles

250 forest acres

15 flow miles

385 forest acres

19 flow miles

490 forest acres

South

Full Body Contact No Yes No

$

Cost to your 

Household per Year

$0

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

$10

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

$5

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

HOW WOULD YOU 

VOTE?

(CHOOSE ONE 

ONLY)

I vote for 

Expected Future

I vote for

Option A

I vote for

Option B

Location & Effect Description

North 

Flow & Forest

Approximate Miles of year-round flow; &

Approximate Acres of cottonwood/willow forest along 

the river, tall shade trees dependent on wet soils.

North 

Full Body Contact

Yes it is safe for full body contact at low-flow times, or 

No, it is only safe for wading at low-flow times.

South

Flow & Forest

Approximate Miles of year-round flow; &

Approximate Acres of cottonwood/willow forest along 

the river, tall shade trees dependent on wet soils.

South

Full Body Contact

Yes it is safe for full body contact at low-flow times, or 

No, it is only safe for wading at low-flow times.

$

Cost to your 

Household per Year

How much the option will cost your household in 

unavoidable taxes per year. These taxes would not 

increase or decrease over time.

10 15

THIS SURVEY IS SIMILAR TO 

A PUBLIC VOTE

Question 4. Given a choice between Expected Future, Option A, and Option B

for the Santa Cruz River, how would you vote?

The questions starting on the next page ask you how you would vote for

different options for the Santa Cruz River. 

Effects of each Option will be described with the following information:
Location & Effect Not Somewhat Very

Important Important Important

North 

Flow & Forest

 

 1 2 3 4 5 

North 

Full Body Contact

 

 1 2 3 4 5 

South

Flow & Forest

 

 1 2 3 4 5 

South

Full Body Contact

 

 1 2 3 4 5 

$

Cost to your 

Household per Year

 

 1 2 3 4 5 

Location & Effect Expected Future Option A Option B

North 

Flow & Forest

12 flow miles

45 forest acres

17 flow miles

95 forest acres

17 flow miles

95 forest acres

North 

Full Body Contact No No Yes

South

Flow & Forest

10 flow miles

250 forest acres

10 flow miles

250 forest acres

10 flow miles

250 forest acres

South

Full Body Contact No No No

$

Cost to your 

Household per Year

$0

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

$5

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

$10

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

HOW WOULD YOU 

VOTE?

(CHOOSE ONE 

ONLY)

I vote for 

Expected Future

I vote for

Option A

I vote for

Option B

14 11

Question 1. Rate each of the following in terms of their importance to your 

household. For each, use “1” for the least important, and “5” for the most important.

HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE 

IMPORTANCE OF THESE EFFECTS?

Question 3. Given a choice between Expected Future, Option A, and Option B

for the Santa Cruz River, how would you vote?
Location & Effect Expected Future Option A Option B

North 

Flow & Forest

12 flow miles

45 forest acres

17 flow miles

95 forest acres

23 flow miles

160 forest acres

North 

Full Body Contact No Yes No

South

Flow & Forest

10 flow miles

250 forest acres

15 flow miles

385 forest acres

19 flow miles

490 forest acres

South

Full Body Contact No Yes No

$

Cost to your 

Household per Year

$0

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

$35

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

$15

Increase in 

Annual Taxes

HOW WOULD YOU 

VOTE?

(CHOOSE ONE 

ONLY)

I vote for 

Expected Future

I vote for

Option A

I vote for

Option B

AS YOU VOTE, REMEMBER THESE 

IMPORTANT DETAILS

 There are 3 voting questions, each on a different page.

 Each question describes a different tradeoff to help us better

understand your household’s opinion.

 Review each question carefully. Your votes are important and will 

help determine the best option for the Santa Cruz River. 

 Costs to your household will range from $0 to $50 per year, 

depending on the option. All funds are legally guaranteed to be used 

for the designated purpose.

 The “Expected Future” option shows the expected future at no added 

cost. Choose this if other options are not worth it to your household.

12 13

Question 2. Given a choice between Expected Future, Option A, and Option B

for the Santa Cruz River, how would you vote?