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BACKGROUND/HISTORY
The City of Show Low built its
first wastewater collection and
treatment system in 1958. It
consisted of sewer lines, serving the
original townsite and contiguously
built up areas of the city, and two
stabilization ponds for treatment.
Effluent was discharged directly into
Show Low Creek, adjacent to the treat-
ment plant, eventually reaching Fool
Hollow Lake. Nutrient loading resulted
Treated municipal wastewater is being used in
N.E. Arizona to create some very interesting
wetlands. Wildlife response to this new habitat
has been dramatic with over 120 species
of birds using them. The local community
is justly proud of this example of
environmental innovation and cooperation.
in accelerated lake eutrophication,
algae blooms, and resulting fish kills.
In 1970, with the cooperation of the
U.S. Forest Service, wastewater discharge
into the creek was halted. The effluent
was pumped two miles north to a
natural depression known as Telephone
Lake where it contributed to the
development of wildlife habitat. In 1977,
due to increasing population and result-
ing effluent flows, the treatment system
Pintail Lake in winter.
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TREATMENT FACILITY
was expanded to include additional
natural depressions to the East which'
became known as Pintail and South
Lake Marshes. In Pintail Lake the U.S.
Forest Service began to construct islands
to enhance waterfowl reproduction.
By 1982 wastewater flows exceeded
the treatment plant's design capacity.
Discharges directly into Show Low
Creek and decreased quality of effluent
delivered to the marsh treatment areas
resulted in degraded habitat quality
and sharply decreased waterfowl
populations. In 1985 the City began
to work on a long term solution to the
problems of treatment plant capacity
and providing high quality effluent to
the created wetlands.
The solution selected was to deepen
and improve the existing treatment
lagoons by adding aeration, increase
pumping capacity, add stabilization
ponds for secondary treatment, increase
the capacity of Telephone Lake for efflu-
ent storage, and add additional marsh
capacity for final treatment and reuse.
The City of Show Low wastewater
treatment facility now consists
of two aerated lagoons that may
be operated in series or parallel, a lift
station with two 1,150 gpm pumps, four
biological stabilization ponds that may
also be operated in series or parallel, a
chlorination contact chamber, effluent
storage and clarification in Telephone
Lake, nutrient removal in constructed
riparian areas, and eventual reuse in
constructed waterfowl marshlands.
Aerial view.
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SITE DESCRIPTION
The created wetlands at Pintail
Lake and Redhead Marsh are
located 4 miles north of the City
of Show Low, Arizona. This is in the
high country of northeastern Arizona.
The wetlands are on National Forest
Service Lands administered by the
Apache/Sitgreaves National Forests.
The climate has a dominant influence
on the functions of the created wetlands.
This area has four definite seasons.
Spring is very windy with gusts over
50 mph. This can cause severe bank
erosion if vegetation isn't established.
Net evaporation can exceed 12 inches
per month in May and June. Summer
is characterized by the onset of a
monsoon type pattern with frequent
showers and high night tune tempera-
tures. Fall is ushered in as the rainfall
diminishes and nights get colder. Winter
is marked by colder temperatures and
the wetlands freeze over. Ice may occur
1 to 2 months of winter. Snow depths
of 3 to 12 inches are common.
The soils of this area are heavy clays
with low water permeability. The natural
vegetation is typical pinyon-juniper
woodland. This is a very common
vegetation type in this area. The topog-
raphy is flat to moderately sloping with
some natural basins which form Pintail
and Telephone Lakes. The elevation
above sea level is 6,350 to 6,380 ft.
Evaporation from wetland surfaces
is a key factor affecting their functions.
Total evaporation exceeds precipitation
by 48 inches per year. The evaporative
loss is greatest during the months of
May and June which account for one
half of the year's total. During winter
months evaporation is near zero, so
ponds fill up and total storage capacity
becomes a concern.
Water control structure at
Redhead Marsh.
Weather Summary
Month
Jan
' Feb
Mar
Apr
^May
" Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Average
High Temp.
44.2°F
48.3°F
53.8°F
63.9°F
73.0°F
82.8°F
85.5°F
82.9°F
79.4°F
68.5°F
55.3°F
45.6°F
Average
Low Temp.
17.7°F
21.0°F
25.4°F
32.1 °F
38.5°F
47.6°F
55.5°F
54.1 °F
47.6°F
35.7°F
24.8°F
18.9°F
Historic
Record Low
-25°F
-11°F
-7°F
11F
14°F
27°F
42°F
37°F
25°F
10°F
-9°F
-16°F
Average
Precip.
1 .40"
.96"
1.25"
.60"
.31"
.50"
2.47"
2.25"
1.22"
1 .46"
1.06"
1.87"
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DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Since the construction of the first
wetland at Pintail Lake in 1978,
there has been a gradual evolu-
tion of the wetlands. In 1985 a major
expansion occurred with the construc-
tion of Redhead Marsh. This surge of
construction was required as effluent
volumes produced began exceeding
treatment and disposal capacities. The
present system is designed to handle
1.42 million gallons of wastewater per
day to serve a population of 13,500.
The system was designed to integrate
several lakes and marshes into an
effective wetlands complex. Flexibility
in management options was built in to
accommodate changes from year to
year. The water delivery system was
designed to provide additional treat-
ment before the effluent reaches
Redhead Marsh.
Size of Wetlands
Telephone Lake . L...... 45 acres
Pintail Lake.. —... — 57 acres
South Marsh j 19 acres
Redhead Marsh .I......49 acres
Bullseye Marsh ,v........ 1 acre
Ned Lake .'...,... 15 acres
Riparian Area.... l.....: 15 acres
Total Acres = 201 acres
Legend
To Snowflake
—-^Unpaved Access Road
=_Paved Access Road
- Sewerline
•< •'< . < ' <' Open Channel
APS Powerline
«»...»....«»> Fence
(Redhead Marsh)
JB|r *•.>* (Redhead Ma
""**"*"" ""^Iff
Riparian
Area
1760 3520 5280
•1 F
scale in feet
Ned Lake
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OPERATION AND MONITORING
The main techniques used in
operating the wetland complex
involve the management of the
water. The quantity, quality, and
delivery routes are varied to manage the
wetland habitat. The flexibility designed
into the system allows a variety of
management options. For example,
water control structures with adjustable
water boards are used to hold water
levels at desired levels. Water can be
diverted away from some ponds to
allow them to dry up. This is desired to
allow for maintenance and to accomplish
vegetation management goals.
Monitoring of the wetlands is
conducted in accordance with the
requirements of the Arizona Depart-
ment of Environmental Quality by
the City of Show Low. Additional
monitoring is conducted by the
Arizona Game and Fish Department
and the U.S. Forest Service.
As water progresses through the
system, water quality improves. For
example, secondary effluent coming
from the polishing ponds flows into
Telephone Lake, then into an open
channel which delivers it to the riparian
area. After the riparian area, the water
flows into another open channel and
is finally delivered to pond one of the
Redhead Marsh. During this delivery
process the water quality greatly
improves. The following charts show
the removal rates for nitrogen and
phosphorus as water moves through
the system.
54 _
32-
28.
24-
E. 20-
g"
D)
I 16 J
$
12-
8-
4-
12-,
10-
D>
8-
•g. 6-
i2
4-
2-
Dec., Jan., Feb.
March, April, May
June, July, August
Sept., Oct., Nov.
Influent
Contact
Basin
Telephone
Lake
Redhead
Marsh
Dec., Jan., Feb.
- March, April, May
June, July, August
Sept., Oct., Nov.
Influent
Contact Telephone Redhead
Basin Lake Marsh
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RESPONSE
Pintail Lake and Redhead Marshes
have exceeded the original
objectives and expectations.
What started out as a project to favor .
waterfowl has developed into a complex
of wetland ecosystems with a wide
range of benefits. Similar projects in
other areas have been developed as a
result of the success here.
Vegetation
Experience has shown that the
addition of water to these previously arid
sites brings on dramatic vegetation
changes. A prime objective has been the
establishment of a vigorous vegetative
cover. Cattail, water grass, spike rush,
and various sedges have become estab-
lished naturally in the created wetlands
while others such as hardstem, softstem,
and alkali bulrushes and sego pondweed
have been successfully planted.
Animal
The response of animals to the new
wetlands has been exciting. After 3 years
of data collection on Pintail Lake,
L. Piest (1981) stated: "The response
of breeding waterfowl has been
dramatic. I estimated that 1,544 duck-
lings or 76.4 ducklings per hectare
(30.93 per acre), were produced in
1981." The response of other birds has-
been similar with the establishment of
cormorant and black-crowned night
heron rookeries in the new wetlands.
To date ten bird species which are
classified as endangered, threatened,
or sensitive have been seen using the
wetlands. These include the bald eagle,
peregrine falcon, osprey, northern
goshawk, snowy egret, belted kingfisher,
American avocet, sora rail, black-
crowned night heron, and the double-
crested cormorant. Four of these species
(the avocet, sora rail, blackcrowned
night heron, and cormorant) have been
found nesting here. A survey done in
1991 to document total bird use on a
weekly basis found 120 different species
of birds using the created wetlands.
Some of the birds are predators, feeding
on fathead minnows, & small fish that
inhabits part of this wetland system.
Other animals found in the wetlands
include rocky mountain elk, mule deer,
pronghorn, black bear, coyote, raccoon,
and various kinds of amphibians.
People are also attracted to these
wetlands for a variety of reasons—
to relax and watch animals is probably
the intent of most people. Facilities
were provided to improve wildlife
viewing at Pintail Lake. School groups
often use these wetlands for environ-
mental field trips. The concepts of
wastewater cleanup and recycling have
more meaning after experiencing the
created wetlands.
Shorebirds using
Telephone Lake.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Since the first wetland was built
at Pintail Lake in 1978 to the
present, the wetlands have been
a cooperative effort. The "core team,"
which started the project and continues
to make it successful today, include
the City of Show Low, the Arizona
Game and Fish Department, and the
U.S. Forest Service.
Other groups have also played a
major role. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency has provided
guidance and funding for this innova-
tive wastewater treatment project. The
Arizona Department of Environmental
Quality is involved in the monitoring
and operational permitting process.
The wetland project is also supported
by the local communities. This includes
the local schools with their field trips.
The White Mountain Chapter of the
Audubon Society with the field trips
and work projects.
REFERENCES
L. Piest, 1981. "Evaluation of Waterfowl
Habitat Improvements on the
Apache/Sitgreaves National Forests,
Arizona." USD A/Forest Service.
119pp.
Newly established cormorant rookery.
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