FLAGSTAFF, Ariz – Restoration work at Frances Short Pond is ongoing and is scheduled to continue into the fall. This summer, the City removed over 5,000 cubic yards of ash and debris from post-wildfire flooding that had settled into Frances Short Pond. The City also repaired the retaining wall and improved drainage into the pond. This fall, the City is working to install electricity to deliver dissolved oxygen to the pond for fish. A valve will also be added to the pond to connect it with a future channel downstream. After this work is completed, the pond will be refilled and reopened to the public.
Dredging of the pond was required due to the large amount of sedimentation, ash, and debris from post-Pipeline Fire flooding that entered the pond last summer. Dredging removes sediment, ash, and debris that has settled to the bottom of the pond, thereby increasing the capacity of the pond for future post-wildfire flooding runoff. Removing ash from the bottom of the pond also allows a healthy pond ecosystem to develop.
Members of the public are asked to avoid the pond area until the restoration work is complete. For related questions, please contact Ed Schenk, City of Flagstaff Stormwater Manager at Edward.Schenk@flagstaffaz.gov.