Streams and lakes around the world have been degraded by pollution, use of fresh water by humans, and the introduction of non-native exotic species to an ecosystem that resulted to a mass destruction of natural resources and considerable losses to native species. Can an ecosystem that has been affected with such alarming occurrences bounce back and undergo a complete restoration process? In Arizona, scientists and natural resources managers have achieved such and effort through the Ecosystem Restoration project at Fossil Creek, Arizona.
Fossil Creek in Arizona is one of the best examples of an effective riparian restoration project in the Southwest. It is a warm water stream that flows from a complex of springs located in the Mazatzal Mountains of Central Arizona. The river flows through a rugged terrain and produces a constant supply of water at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. A riparian zone or a riparian area is the interface between land and streams or rivers. Plant communities along the river periphery are called riparian vegetation and are mostly hydrophilic plants. Riparian zones occur in grasslands, woodlands and in the case of Fossil Creek, wetlands.
Over 90 percent of the wetlands and riparian zones near the creek have been damaged or lost over a last century. The problem with the ecosystem started when the Arizona Public Service (APS) built a hydropower dam on Fossil Creek. The river flow was diverted to the Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Facility and has been in operation for over 100 years. The reduced flow from the dam and an invasion of exotic fish coming from the communities that settled as the dam was built resulted in the decline of native fish populations.
To fix this damaged ecosystem, an ambitious restoration plan was initiated by the APS, natural resources managers, scientists and government agencies. The Fossil Creek restoration plan that was spearheaded by the Arizona Public Service eventually led to the decommissioning of the Childs-Irving hydroelectric facilities in the creek which restored water flow back into the creek. Full flows restored reached approximately 46 cubic feet per second.
The restoration success in this Arizona river was an important achievement at local, state and even national levels, that it became the model for succeeding restoration work, not only in Arizona, but in other old dams and river structures throughout the nation and in other locations around the globe. The success was recounted in a one-hour documentary called "A River Reborn: The Restoration of Fossil Creek." The documentary describes the natural and human history of Fossil Creek, Arizona and describes the ecological effects and damages that a dam and hydroelectric facilities have caused to the ecosystem of the place.
The documentary chronicles the 15-year process, starting from the restoration plan put forth by the Arizona Public Service. The documentary showed the two major parts that formed the whole plan. The first part involved the purging of exotic fish through a chemical called antimycin. During the purging process, native fish were collected, removed and placed in holding tanks. The second part involved diverting the water from the hydropower production and back to the natural stream channel. This eventually led to the decommissioning of the hydroelectric plants. The documentary was produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Paul Bockhorst and was narrated by Ted Danson.
Samantha Kleiner reports on weather and other problems that damages homes. See:
http://www.localwaterremoval.com/Arizona
No comments:
Post a Comment