The Marsh is a place where the town comes together. Bird watchers, joggers, bicyclists, and those simply seeking a quiet place to lunch find solace in the Marsh. The Marsh enhances the lives of the children of Arcata. It provides an outlet for teachers to show children how science can work in symbiosis with nature to improve human life. This constructed wetland has improved the quality of life of the town and surrounding communities.
The Arcata Marsh serves as a valuable research facility for students and faculty at Humboldt State University. Students of biology, environmental resources engineering, wildlife management, botany, and countless other fields all glean information from this dynamic ecosystem. Dr Robert Gearheart, one of the innovators of the marsh, who teaches at the local university, often uses the system as an outdoor classroom for his sutdents.
Tourism
People are drawn from around the world by the innovative beauty of the
city and its unique approach to treating its 
wastewater. Another major attraction the
marsh is the vast array of wildlife that frequent it. These visitors bring valuable tax
dollars to the Arcata area. More
than two hundred thousand people visit the marsh every year, it is clearly not your
average sewage treatment plant. It is an integrated wastewater treatment system that
includes habitat enhancements and public use.
Community
Pride
Since the genesis of the Arcata Marsh Restoration Project in the early seventies, the marsh has served as a rallying point for this small community. Arcata residents know that what they dump down the drain today is headed for tomorrow's picnic spot. The annual Oyster Festival celebrates the products of the Humboldt Bay's aquaculture industry. There is a sense of social responsibility in the town and a real sense of pride. Arcata residents are proud of the fact that they live in a town which utilizes appropriate technologies to treat human waste, foster wildlife, and enhance the natural beauty and utility of what once was wasted post-industrial land.
These pages are under
construction