Tucson Region

Desert oasis fills a need

6:35 a.m. The water's surface reflects the sky's mural: first black, then purple, then navy blue. Silhouettes, shadows and then trees become visible. The moon dances in between them. Suddenly a ripple of splashing ducklings blurs the reflection. Behind me, the sun peeks over the mountains. The horizon turns vibrant yellow and orange. It's hard to believe that this beautiful place is a man-made wetlands fueled by wastewater. Sweetwater Wetlands, as the area is called, is near Interstate 10 and West Prince Road. It was created in 1996 to help conserve and recharge Tucson's water supply. The wetlands help treat our wastewater by filtering it through a series of ponds that attract aerobic microbes. The wetlands produce 10.6 billion gallons of water that is used to irrigate Tucson golf courses, playgrounds and school athletic fields, said Joaquin Delgado, a hydrologist and public information specialist for Tucson Water. "Most of the trees that you see along our roads are being watered by reclaimed systems." I wanted to capture the wetlands' beauty and show how they worked and how people were using them for recreation. I tried to take pictures that illustrated uncommon desert sights: cattails, shorebirds, ponds. Most days, taking photographs helped me relieve my own stress about school. Occasionally, though, I felt frustrated during photo shoots when I wanted to show people enjoying the wetlands and didn't find many people there. I assumed more people would be taking advantage of such a pretty public place, which is open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Understanding the science behind the wetlands made it more interesting when I went on photo shoots. Knowing that the wetlands are not just a nice place to go to relax, but also an important part of water purification and conservation in the desert, motivated me in the field.