Enviro engineers work to build wetland

When environmental scientist Patrick Ty Whitaker returns from Mexico, he won't be wearing a beach tan. Rather, his burn will be from working on a wetlands restoration project undertaken on a pro bono basis by his employer, Huffman & Carpenter, Inc.

With Nevada construction projects sidelined by the recession, the firm's owner, Lori Carpenter, finds volunteer projects a good way to keep staff working, says Whitaker.

Headquartered at Damonte Ranch, Huffman & Carpenter has teamed with a Mexican spa's foundation,

LaPorta, to complete the project that will further purify water discharged from a treatment plant.

The wetlands basin, situated about 100 miles south of San Diego, will allow the partially-treated water to percolate through a natural cleansing process before flowing into the Tecate River.

Six years in the making, the restoration project first required a list

of native vegetation, says Whitaker. But on site, the first step was hauling 80 abandoned cars out of the

river. Next, over 600 used tires were incorporated into a retaining wall boundary for the wetland treatment

facility.

"In these hard economic times we have not retreated from our commitment to society and the environment, rather we have stayed true to our values by committing resources to complete the wetland treatment facility in Tecate, Mexico," says Whitaker. "It is our commitment to the environment and our global community that has helped us through these hard times."

Meanwhile, another Mexican company, Tecate Brewery, is helping fund the next stage of work.

During the boom years, Huffman & Carpenter primarily worked for developers, determining what resources and environmental constraints existed on the land. Now that development has slowed, says Whitaker,

"Volunteer work could get our name out there."