Arcata Marsh
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The Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary is an innovative sewer management system employed by the city of Arcata, California.
A series of 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 University Kennedy School of Government. Numerous holding pools in the marsh, called "lakes," are named after donors and citizens who helped start the marsh project, including Humboldt State University professor George Allen who was 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, a project that continues today. Despite being effectively a sewer, the series of open-air lakes do not smell, and are a popular destination for cycling and jogging.
The sewage treatment process takes place in three stages:
- Sewage is held in sedimentation tanks where the sludge is removed and processed for use as fertilizer.
- Remaining wastewater is pumped into oxidation ponds (here bacteria break down the waste).
- About one month later water is put into artificial marshes where it is cleansed by reeds, cattails, and bacteria.
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