CATALINA FOOTHILLS, Ariz. (KGUN) — The community gathered at Rillito and Craycroft for a clean-up event organized by Watershed Management Group’s (WMG) River Run Network program.
Around 20 volunteers picked up trash and removed small stands of the plant Arundo along the creek area of the Rillito River.
Arundo donax, also known as giant reed, is an invasive plant native to Eastern Asia.
By clearing these plants, volunteers are helping restore the river’s groundwater levels, which is crucial for supporting native species.
"The belief is that the Arundo was brought here as an ornamental in the early 1900s, and it spreads really easily," explained Karla Candelaria, a docent with WMG.
"They grow up to be like 20 feet tall," said Jim Lewison, a volunteer. "They're kind of like bamboo."
These invasive plants can consume up to four times as much water as native species, and volunteers are working to reduce their impact on the water supply.
Lewison's goal is to bring the Rillito River back to life.
“We all want to see these rivers running again and not be dry wash, you know, 10 months out of the year,” he said.
Jessica Luna, an intern with WMG, shares a similar sentiment.
"Our goal with removing the Arundo is to get rid of it so our native plants can have more water to drink and basically restoring the flow of our old and sacred rivers here," Luna said.
According to Luna, WMG organizes these clean-up events twice a month, with each event collecting 30 to 40 bags of trash.
"We’re picking up lots of plastic bottles. There’s a fair amount of clothing, but it’s mainly your typical trash — plastic bottles, food wrappers, and things like that," said Julie Steffen, vice president of Watershed Management Group, at Saturday's clean-up.
For volunteers like Candelaria, it’s about taking care of the environment.
"We are part of the place here, and we need to take care of it," she said. "We as humans add the trash to the river, so we might as well help take it out."
To sign up for an upcoming event, head to The River Run Network's website.
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Maria Staubs joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist and producer in July of 2024. Her passion for writing and storytelling stems from anchoring her middle school’s news show and editing her high school’s yearbook. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication with a minor in film and media production, as well as a master's degree in mass communication. You can email Maria at maria.staubs@kgun9.com or reach out to her on X/Twitter or Instagram.
