Great blue herons in the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Delray Beach, Florida
© Marie Hickman/Getty Image
Finding a balance between wetlands and water treatment
Take a stroll through the Wakodahatchee Wetlands and you'll likely spot great blue herons, like the fluffed-up pair we're featuring today. Located in Delray Beach, Florida, and created on 50 acres of wastewater utility property, the park first opened to the public back in 1996. A three-quarter mile boardwalk takes visitors over ponds and through marshes, offering the chance to see more than 150 bird species, plus turtles, fish, frogs, alligators, and other Floridian fauna. Every day, the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department pumps about 2 million gallons of highly treated wastewater into the wetlands. Then the algae and other plants naturally finish the purification process before the water seeps back into the water table. Quite an upgrade from a yucky wastewater pond.
Related Images
Blossoming cherry trees at a tea plantation in Longyan, China
Wildflowers in bloom at Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona, USA
Circular agricultural fields in Morgan County, Colorado, USA
For International Beaver Day a beaver swimming in Grand Teton National Park
Water wheels in the Tashkurgan Grassland, Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang, China
Almond orchards in bloom, Sacramento Valley, California
Lake Dobson in Mount Field National Park of Tasmania
An old farm in the Shetland Islands, Scotland
Bing Today Images
