Rio Salado Update July 2000

The following also is provided in Spanish. Lo siguiente también es provisto en Español .

Rio Salado Breaks Ground
Rio Salado Citizen Advisory Committee Meets
Rio Salado Gets Kid Approval
Rio Salado Gateway Update

Back

Rio Salado Breaks Ground

A bulldozer makes the “first dig” into the Salt River bed as part of the groundbreaking ceremony.

Phoenix City Councilmember Cody Williams spoke from the heart during the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project groundbreaking ceremony at Central Avenue and the Salt River. And it was evident his comments were taken to heart by the more than 350 people who attended the ceremony, which officially kicked off Phase I of the ambitious undertaking to restore the Salt River to its natural state.

“This is the stuff that dreams are made of and it proves that dreams do come true,” said Williams from a tent-shaded dais that included several people who were instrumental in getting the project off the ground. Guests included representatives from the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Flood Control District of Maricopa County, City of Phoenix, and Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

“People have not been kind to the river, but we are about to love it up more than anything else in this city,” Williams added. “I remember when I was young, my father would take me down the river when it was flooding to see what floated by.”

Although some preliminary work had begun on the $80 million plan to transform the usually dry and dusty Salt River bed into a meandering stream and wildlife habitat, the June 1 ceremony officially signaled the start of construction on the project’s low-flow flood control channel.

Congressman Ed Pastor helps children plant a “heritage” tree on the banks of the Salt River.

“This project is more diverse than other corps work – environmental restoration, and educational and recreational opportunities. It has wide support in Washington” said Jim Smyth, assistant for water resources development with the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. “The corps did a good job on this project.”

The ceremony was emceed by Assistant City Manager Sheryl Sculley who commented about the great economic benefit the project could have for south Phoenix.

Following the official speeches, schoolchildren from Ed and Verma Pastor Elementary School wielded shiny shovels against rock and dirt to plant a “heritage” tree that will grow along with the project. A huge earth-moving bulldozer making a “ceremonial” dig along the riverbank preceded them.

Mayor Skip Rimsza and others who attended the ceremony praised Arizona Congressman Ed Pastor for his efforts to obtain a congressional appropriation for the project, which will eventually stretch from 19th Avenue east to the Interstate 10 bridge.

“For many years, this river divided our city,” said Pastor. “Now we need to remove this scar and once again make it a live river.”

Pastor paid tribute to former Arizona State University Dean of Architecture Jim Elmore, whose students came up with the Rio Salado concept nearly 40 years ago.

“This project is very important to the future of our community,” said Rimsza. “We are on the edge of fundamental changes in our urban centers.”

Work on the project’s first phase, developing the low-flow channel from 19th Avenue to Seventh Street, began May 30.

“It is really a pretty simple construction project,” Project Manager Walt Kinsler said. “First, the existing surface water is being drained off and a pilot channel is being constructed and survey work is being done. The channel will be very shallow at the 19th Avenue end and will measure 22 feet deep at Central Avenue. Overall, it will average about 12 feet deep.”

A 300-day construction schedule has been established for the low-flow channel’s first phase.

“We’re looking at next April for completion of this stage, but the construction company says it will get it done before that,” Kinsler added. The entire project is expected to be completed in three to four years.

(Editor’s Note: A special thank you to the Phoenix Parks, Recreation and Library Department staff who made the press conference and kick-off ceremony possible.)

Return to top of Rio Salado Update

Rio Salado Citizen Advisory Committee Meets

Public involvement continues to be the cornerstone for the ongoing planning and construction of the Phoenix Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project, now under way on the Salt River between 19th Avenue and Seventh Street.

The new Rio Salado Citizens Advisory Committee, nominated by Mayor Skip Rimsza and approved by the City Council, will advise city staff on the project and follows in the footsteps of the Beyond the Banks committee.

While Beyond the Banks came up with 10 goals for the revitalization project during its year-long existence that preceded the start of construction, the Citizens Advisory Committee will provide continuous support and direction during and after the construction phase.

George Young, a resident of South Phoenix and a member of the Enterprise Community Steering Committee, will chair the 24-member committee for its first two-year term. Committee members, some of whom served on Beyond the Banks, reflect such public interests as neighborhoods, education, environment, business and community leadership.

“We’ve already had a lot of citizen input and suggestions,” said Young. “The Citizen’s Advisory Committee will keep tabs on what’s happening and how it is happening. We’ll make sure that some of the things both committees recommended are important and not put on a shelf and forgotten.”

Rio Salado got great crowd approval with more than 350 people attending the groundbreaking ceremony.

In addition to Young, others serving on the committee are Carlie Back of the South Mountain Chamber of Commerce, Gene Blue of the Arizona Opportunities Industrial Center, George Brooks Jr. of the Gila River Indian Community, Diane Brossart of the Valley Forward Association, Gregory Brownell of Elliot Homes, John Camarillo of Valle del Sol, Dom Commisso of Griggs Paint & Silkscreen, Juanita Guidry Copeland of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Pablo Curiel of Cesar Chavez Community School, business executive Michael DeMuro, Florence Eckstein of the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix, Michael Goodman of the South Mountain Neighborhood Coalition, Bruce Hallin of the Salt River Project, Jim Holway of the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board, Charlene Howard of the Community Excellence Project Board, Luis Ibarra of Friendly House, Michael Johnson of Personalized Security & Investigations, former educator Josephine Pete, James Preston of Bethesda Community Church, Salvador Reza of Tonatierra, Fernando Ruiz of Espiritu Community Development Corporation, Conrad Spohnholz of Safe Haven and Steve Zabilski of the St. Vincent De Paul Society.

Young said the group’s scope is expected to center on: recommendations for youth and community programming; feedback on the project’s progress and keeping stakeholders up to date; family-oriented recreational and entertainment opportunities; infrastructure needs and issues, including patterns for transportation and pedestrian/bicycle friendly use; advising staff on design standards that will extend and enhance Rio Salado’s natural setting; researching and discussing initiatives used in other urban areas; serving as a resource for community-based programming; advising the city on Phase II of the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Feasibility Study; and encouraging public participation during the committee’s deliberations.

The committee has had one meeting and will meet again at 4 p.m. July 20 at the Travis L. Williams Family Service Center, 4732 S. Central Ave.

Return to top of Rio Salado Update

Rio Salado Gets Kid Approval

A turkey vulture held by Deborah Barrett from Liberty Wildlife delights kids.

Approximately 5,000 elementary and junior high school students from Phoenix and surrounding cities were given a peek into the future of the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project at EarthFest, Arizona’s official Earth Day Celebration at the Phoenix Civic Plaza.

Organized by Valley Forward, the annual celebration includes activities ranging from “green up” projects to an Environmental Expo. This year, the Phoenix Parks, Recreation and Library Department’s Rio Salado exhibit was named “Best of Show” by the students.

“This was our third year to participate in the EarthFest and we showed off our mobile display that represents the habitat zones to be found in the Rio Salado,” said Rio Salado Habitat Manager Karen Winters.

Winters said the display included living cottonwood, willow, mesquite and palo verde trees, a wetland with aquatic plans and other shrubs typical to the habitats that will be restored within the Salt River bed. Additionally, the Rio Salado exhibit included a live bird display from the Liberty Wildlife Rehabilitation Foundation. The display’s turkey vulture, great horned owl, elf owl and Harris Hawk were a big hit.

“The kids really enjoyed the ability to see these birds up close,” Winters said.

The youngsters left the event with wildlife trading cards to remind them of the Rio Salado project.

Return to top of Rio Salado Update

Rio Salado Gateway Update

The second construction phase of the Rio Salado Central Avenue Gateway, which will serve as the public entry to the trails and facilities of the Rio Salado, is in full swing.

Located on the southeast corner of Central Avenue and the Salt River, the gateway is designed to accommodate cars, buses, bicyclists and pedestrians.

Entrance plazas are planned for the other three corners of the Central Avenue-Salt River junction; the entry currently under construction is being built by the city of Phoenix with grant funds from the Arizona Department of Transportation.

“We expect to have the second phase completed about October,” said Walt Kinsler, project manager for the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project. “We expect the entire structure to be done by the end of December.”

The Gateway will feature terraced seating, interpretive gardens, and a 40-foot by 80-foot shade structure. The entire site will cover about an acre, with the plaza space at street level occupying approximately a half acre.

“The gardens will include plant material representing what will be in the full-scale project,” said Kinsler. “From the Gateway, visitors will be able to look up and down the project along the river and also be able to view South Mountain and the Estrella mountains.”

Kinsler said the first phase included 21,000 cubic yards of fill material, gabion retaining walls and a 400-amp electrical service. Concrete sidewalks, retaining walls and columns for the shade structure are to be done during the second phase. Lighting, landscaping and the shade structure roof will be finished during the third phase.

“We would like to do something similar to the Gateway structure at each of the river’s major street crossings, but they won’t be on such a grand scale.”

Comments, questions and suggestions can be forwarded to Karen Williams, the city's Rio Salado Project Coordinator at (602) 262-4717 or 200 W. Washington Street, 12th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85003 or Kwillia2@ci.phoenix.az.us

Return to top of Rio Salado Update