HASSO HERING

On a bike ride down south, I came across this constructed wetland — or series of ponds and connecting channels — that reminded me of Albany’s “Talking Water Gardens.”

This layout just south of the Santa Ana River channel is about five miles inland and designed to filter runoff from the surrounding area so the water does not have to be treated before it is discharged to the river.

These ponds don’t talk, but they are laced by an array of walking paths surfaced with what looks like decomposed granite — much better for walking and cycling than gravel or woods chips. It makes for a pleasant break on a long ride on the seemingly endless network of paved bikeways around Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa, Calif.