Gilbert Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch

Most cities in the desert southwest discharge treated wastewater or effluent back into the aquifer as a way to preserve their precious commodity. Several communities even rely on this underground storage - a natural filtration system - for their municipal water supplies. The fast-growing city of Gilbert in the far southeastern corner of the Valley has created a unique environment around their public works in the form of a riparian preserve.

Spread over 110 acres, seven ponds take turns collecting water before it seeps into the ground. These shallow bodies of water attract plant and animal life - mostly in the form of birds. A network of densely treed paths and trails crisscross the property providing miles of habitat for mammals and even more species of birds. Many migratory species including flocks of Canadian geese and dowitchers will spend the winter here. Meanwhile, desert birds like towhees, thrashers, quail and verdins make their homes in the dense native flora typical of local river valleys and arroyos.

On one of my first trips to the preserve I was able to identify 45 individual species of birds. Since many were 100 feet or more away, safely in the middle of some ponds, I probably missed quite a few. And frankly I was and still am a novice - shore birds like sandpipers can be very difficult to differentiate. In any case it's always a pleasure to return, especially at sunrise or sunset when the light reflecting off the water reminds you that birding isn't just science, it can also be art.

View of one discharge pond with a fellow photographer.

Example of the forested paths between the ponds. Not only popular with songbirds and birders, hikers and strollers from the surrounding neighborhoods enjoy them.