Optimize Water Systems at the Arboretum

• Renovate current lake and stream system to conserve and improve water quality
• Support student internships
• Model water efficiency for the campus and community

Created in 1977, the lakes and stream system at Fullerton Arboretum was a joint project between California State University and the City of Fullerton Redevelopment Agency. The system consists of four lakes, three streams and a pump that circulates the water through the system. Over time, the clay liner in the streams and lakes has become susceptible to seepage, and the lakes’ natural shoreline has eroded. In order to make the system more efficient and to improve water quality, we wish to use the lakes as irrigation reservoirs, capturing water in a storm event and distributing it through the irrigation system. Subsurface aeration systems will use air instead of water — a more efficient way to recirculate the water — preventing stagnation and improving water quality. Your support will help renovate a first-of-its-kind lake and stream system that will allow excess water to irrigate the garden, ultimately increasing regional and local resiliency and serving as a model for other institutions and communities.