Wetland Demonstration Garden

Throughout the years as birds nested at Ruby Lake, the quality of the water was drastically altered due to their droppings.  The high population of birds caused a significant buildup of nitrogen and phosphates.  The lake became eutrophic and was covered in duckweed, which, over the years as it died, might have build up and caused the lake to fill in.  

Shangri La has developed a system to naturally filter the water and pump clean water back into the lake.  Runnels bring water from Ruby Lake and filter it through a wetland demonstration garden.  This series of shallow rectangular pools at one end of the orientation area grows aquatic plants and the microbes that live on them to help filter nutrients from the water.  The pools are planted with low-growing wetland plants.  Small, unplanted runnels that slice up the pools are designed for ornamental reasons - to contrast with the planted pools and paths bridge over the pools in some areas.  Water is returned to Ruby Lake.  

During school programs, students are able to take water samples to test for Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Phosphate Levels, and Clarity.

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