News Release 06-06
US Army Corps Of Engineers
April 12, 2006 Immediate

Jennie Ayala
Telephone: (602) 640-2015
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Ed Pastor Kino Environmental Restoration Project Wins Chief of Engineers Excellence Award

Phoenix, AZ.—The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District has won the Chief of Engineers 2005 Environmental Award of Excellence for the Ed Pastor Kino Environmental Restoration Project in Tucson.

The biennial award is the highest recognition for design excellence demonstrated by completed projects and professional works accomplished by a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) team and the private sector design and construction community.

This year the Design and Environmental Design categories were judged by a single jury of nationally recognized professionals.  Of the 31 entries Corps-wide, 10 projects were recognized for design and environmental achievement.

Completed in 2002, the Ed Pastor Kino Environmental Restoration Project (KERP) modified the existing Ajo Detention Basin to provide a natural ecological system whose characteristics and functions were integrated with a storm water control facility. The project was designed and constructed with the Pima County Flood Control District and design agent, Tetra Tech, Inc. (Pasadena, CA). 

The project’s water harvesting features are models for at least five subsequent Pima County projects on the Rillito and Santa Cruz River’s.  The projects include Tres Rios Del Norte, Paseo de las Iglesias, El Rio Antiguo, Swan Wetlands and Agua Caliente.
 
KERP was the first USACE environmental restoration project in the Southwest and the first developed by Pima County.  It covers approximately 141 acres and contains 28 acres of riparian habitat and open water including a 5.6-acre, fifty-foot deep pond; 21 acres of grassland, mesquite Bosque, marsh and upland vegetation.

The Chief of Engineers Design and Environmental Awards Program (DEAP) began in 1965 to recognize and promote excellence in design and environmental achievement by the Corps and its
professional partners. The program presents four types of awards: Excellence, Special Recognition, Honor and Merit Awards. 

For detailed information on DEAP and a list of previous winners please refer to https://ceawards.wes.army.mil.  A list of this year’s entries will be posted in June.

For more information about the Los Angeles District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers please visit our website at www.spl.usace.army.mil.