A Created Wetland in Northeastern Arizona
Response
 What started out as a curiosity, putting
wastewater to good use, has now become an attraction to many forms of life.
Visitors are usually treated to a surprise package of sights and sounds
provided by a vibrant marsh ecosystem.
In the winter bald eagles are a common sight and in the summer
peregrine falcons are occasionally seen. The peak periods of waterfowl use
occur during the spring and fall migration. The islands provide excellent duck
nesting habitat. Elk are attracted to the marsh in the fall and winter where
they consume the dry vegetation.
Of course the diversity of plants and animals attracts many human
visitors. The area is popular with the viewing and hunting public. Jacques
Marsh is a point of local pride. The residents of the cities of Pinetop and
Lakeside have supported the project since it's inception.
A major side benefit of the created marshes has been the
opportunity for interaction with the local schools. The marshes now function as
outdoor classrooms where many environmental principles are taught including
recycling and water cleanup. In 1989 a local group of 140 fourth graders were
treated to the sight of a peregrine falcon hunting shore birds as they toured
the wetland.
Acknowledgments
 Jacques Marsh is the result of many
agencies and individuals working toward common goals. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency provided much of the funding under the Clean Water Act. The
Pinetop-Lakeside Sanitary District provided funding and constructed the system.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department agreed to maintain the wetland after
construction. The Apache/Sitgreaves National Forests provided 255 acres of land
and developed the habitat. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
provided technical guidance and operational permits for the facility.
The wetland came together as a result of dedicated effort, and a
vision of the future held by several people. Adrian Hill, District Forest
Ranger of the Apache/Sitgreaves National Forests, and Jack O'Neil, Game
Specialist for the Arizona Game and Fish Department, worked hard at garnering
their respective agencies support for the project. U.S. Forest Service Wildlife
Biologists Leon Fager and James McKibben provided the technical and planning
support to make the project viable. The Board of Directors of the
Pinetop-Lakeside Sanitary District played a key role in obtaining the support
of the local communities. This group of dedicated individuals didn't permit
doubt, policy, politics, or the "but it's never been done here before" attitude
to stop them. Jacques Marsh is a tribute to them and to many others who
followed for the past 17 years.
For more information, please feel free to contact
the USDA Forest Service, Lakeside Ranger District at 520.368.5111 or you may
write us at 2022 W. White Mtn. Blvd., Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona 85935
White Mountains Online wishes to express our
appreciation to the USDA Forest Service, Lakeside District for providing this
information! This and other articles may be found in print media entitled:
Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment
and Wildlife Habitat
United States Environmental Protection Agency
#EPA832-R-93-005
September 1993
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