Nogales Wash Project

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Cities around the world are moving towards the revitalization of their rivers as a more sustainable planning approach to stormwater and flood management. By daylighting rivers, cities are not only restoring – to some degree – the water cycle and riparian ecosystems, but also providing linear parks and recreational opportunities, attracting tourists, and bringing economic prosperity to the city. The purpose of this project was to engage communities in Nogales, Arizona to assess the level of public support for the potential revitalization of the Nogales Wash, which would consist of the removal of concrete from the bed of the canal and the creation of a linear park, or greenway. Restoration of the Nogales Wash could benefit the population enormously because this city suffers from sewage spills and flooding, precisely along this wash. 

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We conducted two workshops in Nogales, Arizona to gauge the level of public support for the revitalization of the Nogales, Wash. To facilitate engagement, we involved landscape architecture students who designed segments of the wash to help stakeholders visualize the potential of a river revitalization.

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The full title of the project is “Community engagement for a river restoration project to enhance resilience in Nogales, Arizona”. The project was funded by the University of Arizona’s Arizona Institute for Resilience – Arizona Technology and Research Initiative Fund (Technology Research Initiative Fund/Water, Environmental, and Energy Solutions TRIF/WEES Initiative). Additional support was provided by the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy and the Udall Foundation. The project duration was from Nov. 1, 2021, to Oct. 31, 2022.

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