We are pleased to say that Phase 1 of the Arboretum Waterway Maintenance and Enhancement Project is complete! What's next?

UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden Learning by Leading™ Waterway Stewardship interns launched a floating island of wetland plants in the Arboretum Waterway near Putah Creek Lodge to improve the water quality, wildlife habitat and aesthetic appeal of this portion of the Waterway.

Now that Phase 1 of the Arboretum Waterway Maintenance and Enhancement Project is nearly finished, the paths on both sides of the waterway are open again.

The path on the south side of the Arboretum Waterway, which we sometimes refer to as the yellow brick road, is more than halfway complete. Soon the entire walk from the east end of the Arboretum GATEway Garden to the beginning of the Redwood Grove will have a universally accessible path of smooth pavers.

We love the ducks in the Arboretum, but too many ducks in the Arboretum Waterway can have negative impacts on the Waterway ecosystem and the ducks.

To provide multiple ecosystem benefits, students on our Learning by Leading Waterway Stewardship team are creating riparian (water edge) habitats around the newly constructed weirs throughout Phase One of the Arboretum Waterway Maintenance and Enhancement Project.

Naturally occurring, iron-oxidizing bacteria can create a film similar to oil (see photos), however it is completely harmless and goes away over time.

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.

The weirs in Phase One of the Arboretum Waterway Maintenance and Enhancement Project are functioning beautifully. They allow water to flow from the east end of the Arboretum Waterway (where the weirs are located) to the west end of the Arboretum Waterway (near the Equestrian Center) where pumps send the water all the way out to Putah Creek. Once here, the water eventually reaches the San Francisco Bay.

The majority of the Arboretum is still open for walking, jogging, strolling, smelling the flowers and all the other activities you normally enjoy in the Arboretum except the portion between our Australian / New Zealand collection at the east end of the Arboretum up to, but not including, the Redwood Grove.