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There are large construction projects, and then there are the projects where a mention of sheer size does not do justice to the work being done. The latter jobs are not for the faint of heart, but for those who can handle long days and meticulous planning, and who work well within a team structure that relies on mutual trust. 

Archer Western Contractors stresses that its employees have character strong enough to be energized by meeting big challenges within a team dynamic. This philosophy allows Archer Western to succeed on one of the more ambitious projects in the Valley of the Sun’s history. 

The Tres Rios Environmental Restoration project involves the rehabilitation of nearly 500 acres in the Salt River bottom, restoring a vital wetland and riparian habitat. The project creates a symbiotic relationship between the reborn wetlands and the nearby water treatment plant.

This project was delivered through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and sponsored by a multi-city sub-regional operations group, which includes the cities of Phoenix, Glendale, Mesa, Scottsdale and Tempe. Archer Western assigned one of its most experienced project managers, Kory Burden, to lead the project. 

“It’s a multifunctional project,” Burden explains. “By bringing the wetlands back to the condition they were in the early 1800s, we are repairing a natural habitat. At the same time, we’re now using that habitat as a polishing process for the water treatment plant. The reclaimed water from the treatment plant is pumped over to the wetlands, and the plants and animals take what they need before it is discharged back into the river.”

The Tres Rios Wetland project provides a new amenity for Valley residents, and at a significantly reduced cost. “If our clients had wanted a traditional treatment plant of this magnitude, it would have cost roughly $300 million,” he asserts. “We are building it for $32 million, and we get a public park as well.”

Working on the Wetlands

Burden and his team are based in Archer Western’s Southwest Division headquarters in Phoenix. 

Since Archer Western has performed many similar projects, the team knew how to best approach this one. “We do a great deal of water and wastewater process work and we have done wetlands projects before,” he points out. “This is very familiar territory.”

The project includes the construction and regulation of the wetlands with deep-water cells, emergent zones, vector control sites, hummocks and islands, with  control structures, discharge structures, weir gates and spillways constructed. 

A two-mile reinforced concrete channel will protect the wetlands from flood damage. Earthwork consists of excavation, compacted fill and disposal of excess or unsuitable excavated material to optional disposal sites.

Giving Opportunity

Burden says the Tres Rios project will be either the largest or second-largest complex of this type in the world.

“A major key to the success of our work is our partners,” he states. “We have become part of a great team with the Army Corps of Engineers and the city of Phoenix. We all agree communication is king, and everyone knows what’s going on at all times. We place great emphasis on extreme communication because that’s how we tap the creativity and experience of every single team member.”

Coordination strategy also plays a role in the project’s success. “Past experience with water and wastewater work has given us time-tested systems for planning,” Burden says. “Our team is at home on water treatment plants.”

Trust is the most important aspect. “My management approach is to give team members as much opportunity as they step up to,” he says. “I trust that the people I work with want to do good work, and an important part of my job is to provide the opportunity for them to do that.”