The main pond at Agua Caliente Park — which had all but dried up in July — is once more looking like a desert oasis, with broad expanses of water now covering what had been barren mud flats just months ago.
Increased groundwater availability and a new pump system are helping with restoration of the pond, which is popular with walkers, bird-watchers, nature photographers and picnickers.
“We have gained on water loss at the pond,” said Kerry Baldwin, manager of Pima County’s Natural Resources Division.
The county manages the park northeast of Tucson.
“We are now standing at about 14 inches below maximum (water level) for the pond,” Baldwin said. “It should be around 6 to 8 inches down by the end of the month. We were down 44 inches at the lowest point last summer.”
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POND RECOVERY FACTORS
Last summer’s low-water mark at the pond was the result of several years of drought and the failure of the hot-water spring that once fed the pond and several smaller ponds at the park. Baldwin said three factors have helped in recovery of the pond.
“The first is the natural seasonal fluctuations of water demand,” he said. “There’s not as much evaporation” in cooler seasons, and recent rainfall has kept things more moist at the site.
“Second, we transferred some water rights from other county wells to this well,” which s used to replenish the pond, Baldwin said. “So we can pump more water in a shorter amount of time.”
A third factor, he said, was the installation of a new well pump system that increased pumping capabilities.
BOND PROJECT for park is making progress
Baldwin said a bond committee recently approved retaining a $1 million bond project for Agua Caliente restoration in the approved list of upcoming projects.
Project funding, which could go forward in 2015 or 2016, would pay for renovations of the pond, Baldwin said.
“It would include putting in an impervious liner over two-thirds of the pond bottom,” he said. “That will reduce where we’re losing most of the water right now” while still allowing water to soak in around the edges of the pond for vegetation growing there.
“The bond committee realizes that Agua Caliente is an iconic park, and we need to make a capital investment to protect its future,” Baldwin said.
VISITORS BENEFIT
“The main pond level at the park has risen significantly due to increased pumping and reduced evaporation since the summer — providing a better contemplative opportunity for family members to reconnect and relax,” said Jim Knoll, president of the Friends of Agua Caliente Tucson.
“Although the pond level is much improved, the long-term fix to reduce the size, install a liner and contour the pond to reduce the water demand and accommodate the variety of waterfowl, wildlife and birds is still required,” Knoll said.
“If a bond package moves forward in 2015, we are hopeful that the park will remain a part of that proposal and be supported by the county residents. As a part of the National Register of Historic Places and one of only a few parks of this nature, it would be a shame to lose this great park.”
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