Photo by Monte Costa

Water is the lifeblood for desert cities. When Phoenix was growing up, its lifeblood was the Rio Salado. But despite what the river offered both people and wildlife, it was severely abused. First dams were built upstream, blocking the flow. Then toxic wastes were introduced, polluting the shallow aquifer beneath the river. The dry riverbed next became a sand and gravel mine, then a dump site for all sorts of waste, from tires to appliances. This once bountiful place had become a blighted area, useless for wildlife and often dangerous for people.

Audubon has now joined the City of Phoenix, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Maricopa County Flood Control District in a bold and visionary $100 million partnership to restore a five-mile stretch of the Rio Salado, which is also known as the Salt River. This section of the river, flowing through the heart of Phoenix, is being transformed from an eyesore into a nature park that will once again attract wildlife and people. The work is well under way. In one area where a waterfall would be built, that meant removing more than 550 tons of old tires! Seven wetlands are being established, about 75,000 trees and bushes are being planted, and 25 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails are being built.

In the middle of it all, Audubon will establish the Nina Mason Pulliam Audubon Center, named in recognition of a generous leadership gift from the Nina Mason Pulliam Trust. The Center will provide nature-education programming on-site and in the community, and will welcome visitors at the entrance to the new 595-acre nature park. The project will create jobs and become a major focal point for community restoration and economic development in downtown Phoenix.

The key to re-creating this oasis in the desert is water. A central feature of the project is a state-of-the-art water-filtration and treatment system that pumps polluted water out of the aquifer. The water will irrigate the trees and then run through the newly created wetlands, where it will be naturally filtered before seeping back into the ground. It will provide a living example of how nature, with a little bit of help, can heal itself. This lush new habitat will once again attract people and wildlife.

Like so many other natural places abused by people, the Rio Salado once seemed like a hopeless cause. Instead it has become an example of how the most difficult environmental problems can be solved if enough people come together and take action. On November 5 the City of Phoenix will host a dedication ceremony for the Rio Salado restoration project. Please join us to celebrate. If we can heal this river, we can fix environmental problems elsewhere that also seem hopeless. To learn more about Audubon's national network of Centers, visit www.audubon.org.