Veterans Oasis Park and Chandler Nature Center.
4050 E. Chandler Heights Rd; Chandler, AZ 85249

(480) 782-2890

↓ Veterans Oasis Park Details. ↓

The Veterans Oasis Park and Lake serve multiple functions and is also the home for many wild animals in AZ. 

It’s also a part of the Urban Fishing Program operated by the Arizona Game and Fish Department in cooperation with the City of Chandler Community Services Department. Under this agreement, the lake is regularly stocked with fish throughout most of the year.

NEW Veterans Oasis Park Coloring Book

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Details on the Urban Fishing Program, including the type of fish in the lake, and the stocking schedule, can be found on the Arizona Game and Fish Department website or inside the Environmental Education Center. 

The lake is also the reservoir for storing water used to irrigate the landscape in the park.

Official Veterans Oasis Park Map

Veterans Oasis Park Map

An easier map to see is toward the bottom. But wait there’s much more to discover before we go there!!! That map you can scroll over and zoom in. Zoom in Map <– Here

History of Veterans Oasis

Since 2008, Veterans Oasis Park has been around. It was designed to serve as a sanctuary for people to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and connect with nature. The park was built on what was once a cattle ranch and is now home to a variety of wildlife, including birds, reptiles, and mammals. 

The park was built with the help of many volunteers and community members. The park’s centerpiece is a 5-acre lake, which was created by damming up a nearby stream. The lake is fed by stormwater runoff, and its water is used to irrigate the park’s vegetation.

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Veterans Oasis Lake Facts

Veterans Oasis Park LakeMouse Over or Click to Magnify Images ↑

The total volume is about 22 million gallons

The Water Cycle at Veterans Oasis Park and Chandler Heights Recharge Facility

One of the main attractions of Veterans Oasis Park is its lake. The lake is stocked with fish, and visitors can fish for bass, catfish, and other species. The park also has a fishing dock, making it easy for visitors to access the water. The lake is also home to a variety of birds, including ducks, geese, herons, and egrets. Bird watchers can often be seen around the lake, taking photos and observing the birds.

The management of water resources at Veterans Oasis Park and Chandler Heights Recharge Facility consists of two systems – the Reclaimed Water System and the Recovery System. Together they help Chandler conserve one of its most important resources.

The park has several hiking trails that wind through the park’s vegetation. The trails vary in length and difficulty, making them suitable for hikers of all levels. The park’s vegetation includes mesquite trees, palo verde trees, and cacti, among other species.

In addition to hiking and fishing, the park has several other amenities for visitors. There are picnic areas throughout the park, making it easy for families and groups to enjoy a meal outdoors. The park also has a playground for children, which includes swings, slides, and climbing structures.

The park’s visitor center is another highlight. The visitor center provides information about the park’s history and features, as well as educational displays about the park’s wildlife and vegetation. The visitor center also hosts events and workshops throughout the year, including bird watching tours, guided hikes, and nature-themed arts and crafts.

Veterans Oasis Park and Other Arizona Activities, Wild Life, and Plant Life.

Sunset Saguaro Cactus in the Arizona Desert
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An aeration system is used to help maintain water quality. Through this system, air is pumped into the bottom of the lake to add oxygen and circulate the water, which leads to the bubbling that can be seen on the lake’s surface. 

The hillside stream uses water from the lake that is recirculated by a pump. The stream adds oxygen to the water and helps circulate water to maintain the health of the lake.

 

Areas of aquatic vegetation are located around the shore of the lake. These areas contain marsh plants that help remove pollutants from the water and provide habitat areas for fish and birds. They are also important breeding areas for insects, which are an important source of food for the fish and birds. 

Rocks and gravel were placed in the bottom of the lake during construction to enhance the habitat for fish. Rocks ranging in size from 2″ to 18″ were used to provide cover for small fish and create habitat similar to that found at the bottom of a natural lake. Beds of fine gravel were placed in the shallow areas alongside the aquatic plants to provide suitable habitat for fish to lay eggs and for the small fish to find cover after they hatch.

Why a Park and Recharge Facility together?

About this Facility

The City of Chandler’s Veterans Oasis Park and Recharge Facility are important parts of the City’s recreation and water resource management plans. The combination of facilities creates a large, natural open space for recreation and wildlife habitat while also providing a key component for managing one of the City’s most valuable resources – water.

The park provides a wide range of recreational opportunities such as walking several miles of trails, fishing, having a picnic, viewing wildlife or enjoying an outdoor concert.

The City provides classes and programs at the Environmental Education Center and supports the education objectives and curriculum of local schools.

The recharge part of the facility allows the City to put reclaimed water back into the ground for later use. The City’s Airport Water Reclamation Facility provides a supply of treated wastewater for distribution to the recharge basins in the east area of the park. 

The basins in turn are used to develop riparian and wetland habitat for educational purposes and to attract wildlife.

Picnic Table
Trail

Stream at Veterans Oasis

Binoculars For Watching Wildlife at Veterans Oasis Park in Chandler Arizona

Lake Sounds

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Certain times of the year and usually in the evening you may hear a lot of Veterans Oasis Lake residents communicating. Listen carefully… 

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Water is pumped into the lake from a well near the northwest shore of the lake.

It is then pumped out of the lake into the irrigation system by a pump located in the pump house/restroom building. The well used to fill the lake is part of Chandler’s comprehensive water resource management program.

Horned Toad at Veterans Oasis Park in Chandler Arizona

Green Heron

Reclaimed Water System

Concrete Artwork

Water is a valuable source in the desert. To help conserve our water, Chandler has developed a state-of-the-art reclaimed water system to reuse water and at the same time conserve our precious water supplies for future use.

There are 32 acres of recharge area divided into five basins within the park.

 

 

The facility is required to have special permits from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Water Resources to assure safe operation.

The system is allowed to recharge up to 2,240 acre feet, or approximately 730 million gallons per year. This is equivalent to 2 million gallons per day- or about 114 swimming pools. 

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Recovery System

Veterans Oasis Lake in Chandler Arizona

The recovery component of the water system at Veterans Oasis Park uses a well to “recover” a portion of the water that is allowed to be recharged. The water is pumped into the Urban Fishing Lake and from there is used to water all of the landscaping in the park.

Recovery System Facts

Cat Fish

The recovery well is required to have a permit from the Arizona Department of Water Resources to assure the proper amount of water is pumped out of the well.

The well is allowed to recover 726 acre feet, or about 240 million gallons of water per year to maintain the landscaping and the water level in the fishing lake.

Are Coyotes Dangerous?

Are Coyotes Dangerous?

On very rare occasions, human-fed coyotes have bitten people. Although naturally curious, coyotes are usually timid animals that run away if challenged. Coyotes can be a risk to people once they become comfortable around humans.

If coyotes become comfortable it’s usually as a result of people feeding them. When this occurs, coyotes lose their natural fear and learn to see humans, their yards and their pets as food sources and safe havens. 

Can you Hear Coyote Sounds

Coyotes are a common creature, but they are survivors. Listen all the way through to hear.

You must aggressively discourage coyotes from feeling comfortable around you and your family by never intentionally feeding coyotes, eliminating attractants (food sources, including pet food) from your yard, using aggressive gestures toward coyotes when you see them, and encouraging your neighbors to do the same. It is generally not normal for coyotes to attack or pursue humans; it is a learned response to human feeding or indifference.

Coyotes are wild canines that are clever and opportunistic. They are well adapted to living in cities, suburbs, rural towns and agricultural areas. When developments are built in their habitat, coyotes are not permanently displaced. Some move on to other areas, but many simply adjust to their new environment. Coyotes can be seen at golf courses, parks, preserves and in many neighborhoods—maybe even yours!

Coyote Paw Print
  1. Coyotes live throughout Arizona and in every state except Hawaii. Their range has expanded with the human removal of their predators, such as the wolf.
  2. They weigh 15-30 pounds. Females are slightly smaller than males.
  3. Coyotes eat whatever is available, including seeds, dates and other fruit, dead animals, rodents, rabbits, garbage, pet food, house cats and small dogs.
  4. They breed every year. They have two to 12 pups per litter, with an average of six. Pups are raised in a den.
  5. Coyotes may be seen in groups, called packs, or alone.
  6. Removing coyotes from one area generally results in other coyotes moving in from surrounding areas and breeding faster.
  1. Remember, the human is dominant and must act that way. Here are some things to remember:

    1. Never approach a coyote.
    2. Show you are dominant by keeping eye contact with the animal.
    3. Yell or make loud noises with whistles, blaring music, or pots and pans.
    4. Encourage coyotes to leave by spraying with a hose, throwing sticks or rocks near them, or shaking a can filled with pennies or pebbles.
    5. Don’t stimulate a coyote’s chase instinct by running.
    6. Pick up small pets.
    7. Protect small children so they won’t panic and run.

    Also, to scare a coyote away, you should act as large and threatening as possible. Make aggressive gestures with your arms and legs, or by waving an object at the animal. Move toward an area with other people or a building.

  1. Small children can be at risk from coyotes. However, in Arizona, it is rare for a coyote to bite any human. In Maricopa County, eight coyote bites were reported between 1994 and 2004, and all of them were attributed to human feeding. Supervise children under 5 years old wherever wildlife may be a concern, especially near a source of water like a pool, around streets that coyotes can use as travel corridors, and with domestic dogs that could attract or fight with coyotes.

    A unified neighborhood effort is crucial to keep coyotes away from your home and yard.

  1. Pets most likely to be endangered by coyotes are typically off-leash or smaller than 25 pounds. Coyotes have taken cats and small dogs in the vicinity of their owners and occasionally right off the leash. Coyotes have also been reported to attack larger dogs when the coyotes are in groups, or after one or two have lured a dog away from its owner. Here are suggestions for keeping your dog or cat safe:

    1. Supervise small pets at all times when outside.
    2. Allow pets off-leash only in enclosed areas. If your dog is off-leash, be sure it has immediate recall response to prevent conflicts with coyotes and other wildlife.
    3. Take steps to keep coyotes out of your yard (see tips at right).
    4. If you see a coyote when walking your dog, then let the coyote know you are there. Either gather your dog in your arms or keep it as close to you as possible, while also using some of the deterrents described above.
    5. Move toward an area of human activity.
    6. Keep cats indoors or in a secure outdoor enclosure to protect them from coyotes, other wildlife (owls, hawks, etc.) and also from cars, domestic dogs and disease.
  1. If there is a regular coyote food source in one yard on your block, then coyotes will be active throughout the neighborhood. All potential food sources must be removed to keep the coyotes from becoming dangerously comfortable around humans. An indifferent attitude toward a coyote in your yard has the same effect as feeding it. If a coyote is in your yard, then you need to make the animal aware it is not welcome.

     Here are some things you can do:

    1. Do not feed wildlife.
    2. Store garbage inside or in wildlife-proof containers.
    3. Place trash containers outside at the last possible time on day of pickup.
    4. Feed pets inside or remove uneaten pet food between feedings.
    5. Keep pets indoors or on a leash. When outside, keep pets in a secure enclosure with a roof or supervise at all times.
    6. Supervise small children.
    7. Trim back plants and bushes around the house to prevent hiding or resting places.
    8. Install outdoor lighting.
    9. Reduce a coyote’s ability to get over a fence or wall by building it at least 6 feet tall, burying the bottom a few inches underground, and installing barbed wire, electric wire, or a pipe that spins around a wire on the top.

    You can also make a “coyote shaker,” which is a soft drink can filled with washers, pebbles or pennies, wrapped in foil and taped closed, or you can make a “can clanger,” which is three or four empty cans connected to each other with string or rubber bands. Shake either of these to scare away coyotes. The combination of the light reflecting on the foil or cans, the noise made by the clanging of the cans, and the aggressive gesture of shaking them provides several deterrents.

  1. Coyotes can be rabid. However, the Arizona Department of Health Services records show an extremely low occurrence of rabid coyotes in the state.

  1. It is your responsibility to know the laws. Coyotes can only be captured or killed by someone with a proper license from the Arizona Game and Fish Department, or in defense of yourself or another person. Check your local ordinances regarding the use of firearms and traps. It is unlawful to feed coyotes in Maricopa and Pima Counties per Arizona Revised Statute 13-2927. Violations can result in a fine of up to $300.

Welcome to Chandler Parks

Welcome to Chandler Parks Sign

For your safety and safety of others, horses, golfing, motorized vehicles, overnight camping, overnight parking, launching and landing of hot air balloons, other aircraft, model rockets and fireworks are not permitted on park grounds.

Park Rules and Regulations

As you enjoy Chandler’s Parks amenities and to make your visit safe and enjoyable we ask that you comply with all Chandler Park Rules and Regulations. 

(For a complete listing, please see City of Chandler City Code, Chapter 31)

Park Hours: 6:00 A.M. to 10:30 P.M. 

  1. Passive activities including but not limited to: running, jogging, walking, bike riding or the attendance of fitness classes/camps shall be allowed between 5:00 a.m – 10:30 p.m. except in those facilities within the park that have been posted separately. 
  2. Please place all litter in trash receptacles.
  3. Dogs are welcomed in all City Parks. Regardless of size, dogs must be on a leash at all times. Owners must clean up after their animal.
  4. Please keep roller skates, skateboards and rollerblades on sidewalks or in designated areas.
  5. Posting of solicitations, advertisement, handbills and sales is prohibited.
  6. Glass containers are not permitted in parks or parking lots.
  7. Vehicles are not allowed on sidewalks or on the grass.
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Animal Prints

There are many possible animal prints that can be found at Veterans Oasis Park. Here are a few of the possibilities as well as some found in other places in Arizona.

Tap on your screen or mouse over the prints to magnify them.

Veterans Oasis Park Possible Animal Prints Part 1
Veterans Oasis Park Possible Animal Prints Part 1

Make sure that your dogs are on leash when visiting the Veterans Oasis Park and the Chandler Environmental Education Center.

Allowed activities by Permit Only:

  1. Vendors
  2. Amplified music
  3. Alcoholic beverages

Allowed activities in Designated Areas Only:

  1. Archery
  2. Remote control models
  3. Disc golf
  4. Geocaching 

Veterans Oasis Park Hiking Map

Veterans Oasis Park Map

Deadly Weapons are not permitted. Except, pursuant to concealed weapons A.R.S. 13-3102 REPORT VANDALISM TO POLICE non-emergency (480) 782-4130

Thank You For Keeping Your Park Clean And Safe

Chandler Community Services Department (480) 782-2727

COMMUNITY FISHING WATER

This Community Fishing Program lake is regularly stocked for your fishing enjoyment. 

TO FISH AT THIS LAKE A VALID ARIZONA COMMUNITY FISHING, GENERAL FISHING OR COMBO HUNT/FISH LICENSE IS REQUIRED.

Children age 9 under do not need a fishing license.

Fish Species

  • Rainbow Trout
  • Channel Catfish
  • Largemouth Bass
  • Sunfish
  • White Amur (Grass Carp) 

DAILY FISH LIMITS

Number of fish per day per person

  • Rainbow Trout (Limit 4)
  • Channel Catfish (Limit 4)
  • Largemouth Bass (Limit 2) – must be 13-inch minimum length
  • Sunfish (Limit 10)
  • White Amur (Limit 1) – must be 30-inch minimum length 

Persons fishing these waters are subject to the rules and regulations established by the City and the Arizona Game and Fish Department. For more information, refer to the current Arizona Fishing Regulations booklet or visit:

What is a Solar System Walk?

Around the Veterans Oasis Lake is a Solar System Walk. 

Have you ever tried to imagine how large our solar system is? The size of the sun and the distances between it and the planets are so great they are difficult to comprehend.

The Chandler Solar System Walk is a scale model of the sun, planets and other objects in the known solar system, shrunk down to fit within the confines of Veterans Oasis Park. Each foot you travel along the 2,500-foot pathway around the park lake is relative to 1.5 million miles in space. Monuments representing the sun and eight planets are placed along the pathway at their average distances relative to this scale. Along the way, you will also find information about other objects found in the vast expanses of our solar system. 

In this scale model, the sun is only 7 inches wide, Earth is about 1/10th of an inch wide, the largest planet Jupiter is ¾ of an inch wide, and the dwarf planet Pluto is much smaller than the tiny period at the end of this sentence. From your starting point at the sun, your stroll of nearly half of a mile will represent a journey of roughly four billion miles to the edge of our solar system. 

But what is beyond our solar system? The next closest star to our son is Proxima Centauri, 25 trillion miles (40 trillion kilometers) through space. If the Chandler Solar System Walk continued beyond this park, you would have to travel 3,100 miles to Nome, Alaska, to see the spot where we would place the monument for Proxima Centauri. 

As you experience the Chandler Solar System Walk, you will gain greater appreciation for the enormity of space. When you contemplate our star and the eight planets that comprise our solar system, remember that they occupy a tiny point in space within the much larger Milky Way, a spiral galaxy of more than 200 billion stars. And the Milky Way is only a single galaxy among billions and billions of other galaxies within the Universe. 

Amazing!

The information in the Chandler Solar System Walk is based on history, mythology, and a consensus of scientific knowledge that was current as of June 2012. However, new discoveries are being made every day, and some of this information may change. Please consult additional source material for the most current and accurate data. 

Chandler Solar System Walk

Chandler Solar System Walk

“Pillars of Creation”: Photographs taken by the Hubble Telescope of elephant trunks of interstellar gas and dust in the Eagle Nebula, some 7,000 light years from Earth. They are so named because the gas and dust are in the process of forming, or creating, new stars, while also being eroded by the light from nearby stars that have recently formed.

Our Sun is a common, mid-sized yellow star among trillions of other stars in the Universe. It was born about 4.6 billion years ago from within a vast cloud of spinning gas and dust that was pulled together by gravity. As this protosun pulled in surrounding matter, its growing mass generated a tremendous amount of heat and pressure and its core matter ignited through a process of nuclear fusion, producing its own light, heat and energy. 

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and the smallest planet in our solar system, with a diameter about ⅓ the size of Earth. The rocky and barren planet formed about 4.6 billion years ago. When it did, the what of the nearby sun prevented gases from becoming part of the protoplanet, resulting in an extremely thin atmosphere; so thin that it cannot hold in heat like the atmosphere here on Earth. As a result, the temperature on Mercury can drop from 872 F on Mercury’s sunlit side to – 298 F on the dark side. This 1,170 degree range in surface temperature is the largest for a single body in the solar system. Mercury literally bakes and freezes at the same time. 

Venus is the second planet from the sun, located between Mercury and Earth. It is often called Earth’s sister planet, or Earth’s twin, because of similarities in size and mass. But the similarities end there.

Earth, the third planet, is approximately 93 million miles from the sun. It’s the largest of the solar system’s terrestrial planets fifth largest and most dense overall. Earth is the only body in the solar system where water exists in all three phases: solid (glaciers, polar ice caps, snow capped mountains), liquid (oceans, lakes,rivers), and gas (clouds). Most of Earth’s surface (71%) is covered in water; the rest features a wide variety of land formations.

Mars, the fourth planet, is the furthest terrestrial planet from the sun. Mars has clouds, weather, and seasons, but its hazy atmosphere is too thin for liquid water to exist for long on the surface. There are signs of ancient flood on Mars, but evidence for water now exists mainly in icy soil and thin clouds. If Mars once had liquid water, or still does today, it’s compelling to ask whether Mars could ever have been a habitat for life.

Earth - Solar System Walk
Mercury - Solar System Walk
Sun - Solar System Walk
Mars - Solar System Walk

Asteroids - Solar System Walk in Chandler Arizona

Venus - Solar System Walk

Live Near Veterans Oasis Park

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Monarch Waystation in Chandler Arizona

Monarch Waystation

This site provides milkweeds, nectar sources, and shelter needed to sustain monarch butterflies as they migrate through North America. Certified and registered by Monarch Watch as an official Monarch Waystation. Click below to learn more about monarch butterflies. 

Burrowing Owl Caution Aviso in Chandler Arizona

Caution Aviso

Burrowing Owl Burrows in the Area Please Do Not Disturb Federally protected per 16U.S.C 703, Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Violations can result in monetary penalties or imprisonment. 

Veterans Oasis Park Wildlife

Wildlife in AZ

Here is some wildlife in AZ. Some of these can be seen at Veterans Oasis Park. Its lush greenery, lake, and wildlife provide a peaceful oasis in the middle of the desert, making it a popular spot for outdoor activities and relaxation. The park’s commitment to sustainability, education, and community involvement make it a model for other parks to follow.

Veterans Oasis Park is a testament to what can be accomplished when a community comes together to create something special.

Whether you’re a local resident or just passing through, Veterans Oasis Park is definitely worth a visit. With its hiking trails, fishing, bird watching, and other amenities, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. The park’s focus on sustainability, education, and community involvement also make it a park that you can feel good about supporting.

Veterans Oasis Park is a beautiful park in Chandler, Arizona that offers visitors a chance to connect with nature and escape the hustle and bustle of city life. With its lush greenery, lake, and wildlife, it’s a peaceful oasis in the desert. Its commitment to sustainability, education, and community involvement make it a park that’s worth supporting and visiting time and time again.

To see wild life in Arizona or just to have a good round of golf at the Bear Creek Golf Course, Chandler Arizona has something to offer.  If you’re ever in the area, be sure to check it out!

Prairie Dog

Praire Dog Sounds

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