riverine

Flash and riverine flooding is the biggest concern in low-lying areas.

The need for such care is urgent: countless children continue to drown in this riverine region, which is dotted with ponds and rivers.

She said restoring natural riverine areas would help recharge groundwater and reduce the city’s serious flood risks, and that regaining healthy ecosystems along waterways would boost biodiversity, create a network of park spaces, improve air quality and protect public health.

"Even 15 years ago, the wastewater treatment process in Tucson was not good enough to produce high quality, clean effluent that could help restore riverine ecosystems," Bogan said.

"The dams altered riverine habitat in a way that created the perfect breeding grounds for fish diseases. These pathogens can kill up to 90% of the juvenile salmon as they make their way to the sea. In time, dam removal will significantly reduce the amount of this disease in the river. The dams also considerably alter the river’s natural flow regime and disrupt the interconnected biological processes that sustain a healthy aquatic ecosystem. The removal of the dams will greatly resolve these issues, too."