Welcome back

The path on the north side of the Arboretum Waterway is open again, now that construction on Phase 1 of the Arboretum Waterway Maintenance and Enhancement Project is nearing completion. Hooray! Now you can get an up-close look at the new weirs and wetland plantings, as well as revisit the Australian collection from the north side of the waterway.

The path on the south side of the Phase 1 construction area and the arch footbridge in the Australian collection will remain closed until the new universally accessible path has been installed. This new path, designed to match other accessible paths in the Arboretum, extends from the Arboretum GATEway garden on the east end, to the intersection of Arboretum Drive and Old Davis Road.

The pump is on

The pump is running and circulating water through Phase 1. In some places, this is more visible than others. Right now you can see water flowing over the two weirs closest to the east end. The gates at the base of the other three weirs are currently open, allowing water to flow through them instead of over them. If you look closely, sometimes you can see water bubbling up on the downstream side of these weirs. We will continue to adjust the water level and flow over each of the weirs, eventually setting them such that all five weirs have water flowing over them.

More plants coming soon

The Learning by Leading Waterway Stewardship Interns are preparing to plant thousands of California native riparian (waterway edge) plants on the newly shaped banks. The roots and rhizomes (spreading underground stems) of these plants will stabilize the soil, while the above-ground shoots provide wildlife habitat and beauty.

FOR MORE INFORMATION visit the Arboretum Waterway Maintenance and Enhancement Project page.