The main pond at Agua Caliente Park will get a major makeover

Plans are moving forward for an eventual major makeover of the main pond at popular Agua Caliente Park northeast of Tucson, according to Pima County officials. The work will entail:

• Drying out the pond by ceasing to pump water into it.
• Relocating turtles and other non-native wildlife.
• Dredging the pond bottom.
• Installing a synthetic liner to reduce seepage of water.
• Removing some of the cattails that have expanded dramatically around the pond and use lots of water.
• Eventually refilling the pond.

“Timing has slipped a little bit, but we’re still on track to move forward with this work,” said Robert Padilla, deputy director of Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation.

“There are only certain times of year that we can do this,” Padilla said. “We have to take into consideration things like bird nesting.”

He said there is no firm timetable for the work, but added that “It would be great if we could be in construction by this time next year.”

A cost estimate isn’t yet available, Padilla said.

“We haven’t yet drafted the scope of work,” he said. “Once the scope of work is determined it will be bid out.”

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PROJECT DETAILS

Early work will involve dealing with things that swim in the pond, which is between 2 and 3 acres in size, depending on water levels.

“The pond has wildlife in it — turtles and fish,” Padilla said. “We’ve reached out to the Arizona Game and Fish Department for discussions with respect to removing and relocating wildlife from the pond.

“Once we have a plan for removal, we can start drying out the pond,” he said. “We’re going to stop pumping water into the pond (from a well) and let it dry out naturally.” Since the spring that once fed the pond stopped producing water, it’s been necessary to add well water to keep the pond full.

“As soon as we dry out the pond, we will dredge it and also deal with the cattails,” Padilla said.

Before the pond is refilled, a type of synthetic liner will be installed that will allow some seepage but at a reduced rate.

“We will need some seepage for vegetation around the pond,” Padilla said.