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The amount and quality of desert riparian habitat in Arizona has been greatly reduced as a result of urbanization and other factors. This presentation describes a plan implemented by the Town of Gilbert to establish riparian habitat and provide other wildlife and public use at the town's recharge facility. The facility is located in an urban area and uses treated effluent from the town's wastewater reclamation plant to recharge groundwater.
After the original ponds were constructed, wildlife began using the open water for resting and foraging. Absence of vegetation around the ponds, however, limited their habitat value and diversity of species that could use the pond area. Restoration design features include establishment of riparian and marsh vegetation along the pond margins, upland vegetation on pond slopes, wildlife nesting structures, interpretive exhibits, and blinds for viewing wildlife.
Much of the planting and some construction of wildlife structures was performed by community volunteers. The project is used by school groups and numerous others for watching and learning about wildlife in an urban setting. Interpretive exhibits explain the ponds' recharge function and their value as habitat for birds and other wildlife while emphasizing the importance of riparian and marsh habitats in the desert.
Jones and Stokes Associates, an environmental consulting firm, and Wild Seed, Inc. assisted the Town with preparing grant application and project design and implementation. The project was funded in large part by two grants from the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Heritage Grant Program and has received two state awards. This project demonstrates the successful integration of habitat improvements, public use, and groundwater recharge in an urban setting.