Arcata Wastewater Treatment Plant and Wildlife Sanctuary is an innovative sewer management system employed by the city of Arcata, California. A series of oxidation ponds, treatment wetlands and enhancement marshes are used to filter sewage waste. The marshes also serve as a wildlife refuge, and are on the Pacific Flyway. The Arcata …Arcata Wastewater Treatment Plant and Wildlife Sanctuary is an innovative sewer management system employed by the city of Arcata, California. A series of oxidation ponds, treatment wetlands and enhancement marshes are used to filter sewage waste. The marshes also serve as a wildlife refuge, and are on the Pacific Flyway. The Arcata Marsh is a popular destination for birders. The marsh has been awarded the Innovations in Government award from the Ford Foundation/Harvard Kennedy School. Numerous holding pools in the marsh, called "lakes," are named after donors and citizens who helped start the marsh project, including Cal Poly Humboldt professors George Allen and Robert A. Gearheart who were instrumental in the creation of the Arcata Marsh. In 1969 Allen also started an aquaculture project at the marsh to raise salmonids in mixtures of sea water and partially treated wastewater. Despite being effectively a sewer, the series of open-air lakes do not have an odor, and are a popular destination for birdwatching, cycling and jogging.
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