T.O. takes public works awards

A prestigious honor has been awarded to the city of Thousand Oaks for its Hill Canyon Wetlands Creation Project.

The National American Public Works Association (APWA) recognized the Hill Canyon project as its Public Works Project of the Year in the Environmental category for 2005.

The city will be recognized at an international AWPA meeting in Minneapolis in September.

The seven-acre Hill Canyon wetlands provide a habitat for plant and animal species including the endangered Southwestern pond turtle. The $900,000 project was unique in that it was created by a joint effort of the city, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the California State Department of Fish and Game and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board.

"This is a very special recognition and a tremendous accomplishment for the city of Thousand Oaks public works department," said Mark Watkins, interim director of the department.

—Sophia Fischer