Near Tucson, Arizona, a group of residents has found a direct way to care for one of their most treasured escapes. On Mount Lemmon, volunteers spend weekends placing rocks along drainages to slow runoff and hold soil in place after the 2020 Bighorn Fire. Their work supports the trails and springs that draw hikers seeking cooler temperatures and shaded paths in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
The Lasting Effects of the Bighorn Fire
The Bighorn Fire began from a lightning strike on June 5, 2020, and burned nearly 120,000 acres across the Santa Catalinas before containment on July 23. Six years later, bare soil and downed trees remain visible in many areas. Without the previous tree cover, monsoon rains carry sediment and debris downslope more readily, increasing risks to washes and rivers below the mountain. Mount Lemmon sits roughly 20 degrees cooler than Tucson on average, making it a frequent destination for residents during summer heat. The fire complicated access to that relief at a time when outdoor spaces offered important separation during the early pandemic months. Recovery efforts now focus on stabilizing the land so vegetation can return and reduce future fire intensity.
Low-Tech Structures That Slow Water and Capture Soil
Sky Island Alliance, a nonprofit with 35 years of work in the region, organizes the volunteer projects. Teams build rock rundowns, simple arrangements that act as small dams in natural drainages. The structures trap sediment, create microclimates for plants, and gradually encourage new growth that further stabilizes the slope. Field technicians identify sites with small red flags and guide volunteers to select loose rocks already on the surface. Lifting rocks that require digging can create new erosion points, so the emphasis stays on stones that sit freely. Once placed and fitted together, the arrangements begin a process where captured soil supports roots, shade reduces evaporation, and moisture stays longer in the ground. Since 2023, more than 500 such structures have been installed near springs on Mount Lemmon through these efforts. The work partners with the Coronado National Forest and maps each location for future monitoring.
Personal Connections to the Landscape
Volunteers often describe the satisfaction of seeing results on return visits. One participant noted that structures built earlier had already collected debris and, in one case, supported a young oak tree several feet tall. Another reflected that even modest contributions to a single drainage felt worthwhile after witnessing the scale of the burned area. Orion Leslie, whose family moved from the Navajo Nation to Tucson when he was young, brings his own cultural lens. His mother helped connect their Diné heritage to the four mountains surrounding the Tucson valley, including the Catalinas. He continues family traditions of camping and hiking on Mount Lemmon and joined the volunteer work to give back to a place that shaped his life and his children’s experiences.
Community Effort and Ongoing Stewardship
Sky Island Alliance relies on hundreds of volunteers and donors to sustain the projects. Without that broader participation, the scale of restoration would remain limited. The organization also tracks smaller recent fires in the area, such as the Finger Ridge Fire and Mule Deer Fire in August 2026, underscoring that recovery remains an active, long-term process. Participants often combine the work with time on the mountain, including swims in nearby water after a day of building. The approach stays simple and natural, moving existing rocks rather than introducing new materials. Over time, the cumulative effect supports a more resilient ecosystem that can better withstand both drought and fire. The volunteers’ steady presence on Mount Lemmon illustrates how individual actions accumulate into meaningful protection for a landscape many consider essential to life in southern Arizona.
AI Disclaimer: This article was created with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by a human editor.