When people seek to photograph bald eagles and ospreys, they typically visit national parks, not their local wastewater treatment plant. However, for many years, these majestic birds -- along with turtles and schools of fish -- have called the GUC Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) property home. This year, the ospreys who took up residence at the WWTP in 2016 have received a new home at the facility. 

Water is a vital resource not only for humans but also for the wildlife that depend on pristine rivers and streams. In 2005, bald eagles were discovered at the WWTP property, and officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service came out and photographed their nests. In 2016, employees and visitors got a new surprise when a pair of ospreys took up residence by building a nest at the top of a light pole on the property. 

Since then, the ospreys have continued to call that light pole home, causing lots of maintenance issues such as overheating lights and the inability to change out bulbs during nesting season. To help resolve this issue, Plant Operators Bryon Orr and Steve Hedgepeth built a nesting platform in 2021, and the Electric Department assisted by donating and setting up a pole once the platform was constructed. Then the waiting began. 

“We honestly weren’t sure if the ospreys would rebuild their nest on the new platform,” said WWTP Operations Coordinator Chris Hill. “The guys did a lot of research on how to construct the proper platform, which they built out of metal framing to ensure it would be stable enough to attract them back. They also put tin around the pole to keep predators off.” 

All that research and work paid off when the pair returned in February to rebuild their nest. “We’re fairly certain they’ll be parents soon by the way they are acting,” said Chris, “and we’re pretty excited they came back.”