Office of the Secretary

For immediate release: March 7, 2000

Contact: Joan Moody 202-208-3280

Federal Funding Will Help Protect San Pedro River Flows,
San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area

Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt announced today that $1.5 million in Bureau of Reclamation funding will be used to support construction of a demonstration wastewater recharge project in Sierra Vista, Ariz. The project will protect and sustain San Pedro River base flows, which will, in turn, protect and preserve the habitat and wildlife of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.

"Flowing from their headwaters in Mexico, down a lush ribbon forest of cottonwood and willow through Arizona's desert, the waters of the Rio San Pedro are magical," said Babbitt. "They sustain life for human and natural communities alike. More than 400 avian species need this watery oasis to breed, feed, and rest during their long migrations. And as we unite to restore these precious waters, we may find that the river itself restores something in us."

The Sierra Vista Wastewater Recharge Project will involve construction of a water reclamation facility, wetlands complex and groundwater recharge basins by the City of Sierra Vista. Wastewater treated at the reclamation facility will be passed through the wetlands to further improve its quality, then delivered to the recharge basins for infiltration into the regional groundwater aquifer.

Regional groundwater levels in the Sierra Vista/Fort Huachuca area have been declining for several years because of the growing use of this water. This decline has reduced the annual base flow in the San Pedro River, which is essential to maintaining the riparian ecosystems and fish and wildlife in the national conservation area.

In 1996, the City of Sierra Vista, the Arizona Water Protection Fund and the Bureau of Reclamation entered a cost-share agreement under which a pilot effluent recharge project was built at the city's existing wastewater treatment plant. The pilot project showed that the treated municipal sewage effluent could be used to help maintain the region's groundwater supplies and contribute toward sustaining the river's base flow, leading to development of a demonstration project.

The project, which has undergone full environmental review, will result in beneficial use of the city's treated municipal sewage effluent until at least 2020. It will provide a water conservation process for returning a portion of currently pumped groundwater to the regional aquifer, and will create a sevenfold increase in wetlands habitat at the wastewater reclamation facility site. The new wetlands are expected to increase the density and diversity of wildlife at the site. Also, as part of the project, approximately 200 acres of existing agricultural fields will be converted into a native grass farm, from which plants can be used to revegetate disturbed areas in the Sierra Vista area.

Construction of the facility is scheduled to begin later this month. The project will be monitored to ensure it is achieving its intended results and protecting the groundwater quality.

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