FLAGSTAFF, Ariz – Restoration work on Frances Short Pond is now complete and the City will begin filling the pond this week. The filling process is anticipated to be completed by Nov. 7.
To fill the pond, water will be released from a storage reservoir at the North Reservoir Facility that is typically used to store water for fire protection during the fire season. After its release from the storage reservoir, the water will be conveyed through underground piping across Highway 180 and into the Rio de Flag. The water will then flow through the Rio de Flag for approximately two miles until it reaches Frances Short Pond.
This project marks the final phase of work of Frances Short Pond. In 2022, the pond filled with a large amount of sedimentation, ash and debris from post-Pipeline Fire flooding. This ash and debris was removed by the City in the summer of 2023 and a new inlet structure was constructed for the pond as part of the Rio de Flag Flood Control Project. This work allows the pond to have the capacity to retain future post-wildfire flooding runoff while also allowing a healthy pond ecosystem to develop.
After the pond is filled and water quality levels are established, the Arizona Game and Fish Department will work to stock the pond with fish.
Members of the public are asked to avoid the pond area until the filling work is complete.