PACE’s design was not limited to the river. For guests who prefer to walk, PACE designed a river-spanning 36-foot wide arch bridge. An additional half-mile river defines the front of the resort and is not only aesthetically appealing, but also a functioning boat taxiway for guests going to and from the hotel, golf course and casino. The river’s circulation system provides variable river flow of up to 9,800 gpm to simulate dry and wet season conditions. Wetland planters and sand bars recreate the natural flow of the desert river that ends in a 3.5-acre lake at the rear of the 550-room resort.
Meandering along Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort’s entry road, the river features rapids, rock outcroppings and manmade rock formations scattered along the river’s edge. PACE provided complete design services for a 1.5-mile replica of the historic river. In order to reconnect the tribal people with their river roots, the Gila community hired PACE to turn their vision of recreating the river into a reality. As development grew in the region, dams upstream reduced flow in the river, denying future generations of Gila Indians the strong relationship the tribe had with the river. The river provided much needed water for the people and their crops.
Centuries ago, the Gila Indian tribe of Southern Arizona settled along the banks of the Gila River.
