Rio Salado Update July 1998

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

What's new for the Phoenix Rio Salado
EarthFest display a success naturally!
Moving towards congressional authorization
Governor supports the project
Funding the Rio Salado
Local funding
Visit us on the Internet
1998 Arizona congressional delegation

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What's new for the Phoenix Rio Salado?

Gateway plans are underway!

Plans are underway for the Rio Salado Central Avenue Gateway, the point where the Central Avenue bridge passes over the Salt River. The gateway will serve as the entry from the city into the trails and facilities of the Rio Salado project. Residents and visitors will be able to access the Rio Salado at the Central Avenue Gateway by car, bus, on foot or by bicycle. The design team will prepare a plan for the gateway, including landscaping, seating, shade areas and graphics. The Orcutt/Winslow Partnership will serve as the design firm. The Phoenix Arts Commission is selecting an artist who will become an active member of the team. Community residents will be able to share their views on the project at four public workshops this fall. Phoenix was awarded a grant to fund the project from the Arizona Department of Transportation through ISTEA Enhancement Funds. As a critical and highlyvisible first step of the overall restoration project, the gateway will serve as one of the primary links to the riverbank trails that run through the restoration project.

Improvements along Central Avenue will include a bicycle lane from Baseline Road to Jefferson Street, directional signage and links to public transit. The Parks, Recreation and Library Department will act as the lead department for the project, teaming with the Phoenix Arts Commission and the Planning and Street Transportation departments.

When should you tune up your bicycles and dust off your walking shoes? We'll keep you posted, but the gateway should be completed by the end of next year.

If you would like more information about the gateway project, call Walt Kinsler at (602) 261-8809.

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EarthFest display a success naturally!

The city's Parks, Recreation and Library Department created an interactive display depicting the future Rio Salado Habitat Restoration project for an estimated 7,000 school children at EarthFest 98. The display included its own babbling brook, nature sound effects, live animals and a forest of cottonwood, willow and mesquite trees.

A live hawk unofficially won the popularity contest, narrowly defeating the snowy owl and the vulture.

To achieve realism, Parks used 30-foot-tall trees that barely fit under the canopy on the Symphony Hall Terrace. The water and misting system provided a welcome respite from the unusually warm April day. Children who visited the display were given a Rio Salado sticker and activity book. Valley Forward's EarthFest is the state's official Earth Day celebration, as proclaimed by Gov. Jane Dee Hull.

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Moving towards congressional authorization

April milestone

We reached an important milestone on April 13, 1998, when Brigadier General Rick Capka, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Pacific Division, personally signed and delivered the Division Engineers Notice to Phoenix.

This was a crucial step in providing a final report to Congress in time for inclusion in the 1998 Water Resources Development Act. The general was joined by Congressman Ed Pastor, Mayor Skip Rimsza, Councilmember Cody Williams, Assistant City Manager Sheryl Sculley, and members of the Corps and city staff. We salute the tireless efforts of the corps through this process.

The next step

A completed Chiefs Report is expected to be sent to Congress this month for inclusion in WRDA. The WRDA bill comes up only every other year, so it's imperative that we are in the class of 1998.

The House and Senate held hearings on WRDA in May and June, 1998. Congressman Matt Salmon provided oral testimony in support of the project, and were pleased to report that letters of support for the project have been received from Congressmen Pastor, Hayworth, Salmon, Stump and Kolbe. Last month, District 8 Councilmember Cody Williams met with Senator Kyl who indicated that he was supportive of the project. It sounds as though our elected officials are hearing your voice. A contact list for the Arizona congressional delegation appears in this newsletter for your convenience. We encourage you to thank your delegate for his support and urge him to continue to work toward inclusion of the project in WRDA. Remind your delegates that you support the project, as we expect Congress to take action on the 1998 WRDA bill this summer. We need their support for authorization.

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Governor supports the project

"As Governor of the State of Arizona, I am very pleased to endorse and support the...Rio Salado Project. The project area is the first and last sight for more than 30 million residents and visitors who fly into Sky Harbor International Airport each year. The re-establishment of natural habitat and water to the Salt River will make marked improvements to the environment...This will have positive effects on our environment and economy statewide."

Gov. Jane Dee Hull

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Funding the Rio Salado

Phoenix stands to benefit from our partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers to build the Rio Salado. Once the project is authorized, the federal government will pay the majority of the construction costs in effect bringing tax dollars back to Arizona. The estimated cost of construction is $84.5 million for the Phoenix project. As planned, the federal government will pay 65 percent of the habitat and flood management element and 50 percent of the recreation element, a total of $54.2 million. WRDA authorization would approve funding for construction of the project up to $84.5 million. Our local match is the balance of $30.3 million.

But what if the project ends up costing more than $84.5 million? If the costs exceed that amount by a specific percentage, then the entire project must go back to Congress for authorization based on the new figure. For that reason, we've tried to estimate high enough to cover any unexpected costs that may arise during engineering or construction. Ideally, the final cost will be less than $84.5 million, and the citys portion less than $30.3 million.

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Local funding

How will the city fund our local match? The Flood Control District of Maricopa County has agreed to participate in funding the flood control portions of the project and has added the Rio Salado to its five-year capital improvements program. Additionally, the sand and gravel companies that own most of the riverbed property, CalMat and United Metro, have agreed to donate the riverbed and riverbank to the city for the project. The value of that land will be credited towards our local match requirement.

Last month, the Phoenix City Council approved creation of a capital project account for the remaining local match funds. The Parks, Recreation and Library Department will maintain the project as a 550-acre open space park. Annual operating costs will be divided into three areas: operating and maintaining the water supply and distribution system, including electricity to pump the water; maintaining the habitat areas; and staffing and maintaining trails, parking areas, entry facilities and other public facilities. After receiving funding assistance from the county and private land owners, we anticipate that our local match will be anywhere from $8 million to $15 million for five miles of restored Salt River.

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Visit us on the Internet

More information about the Phoenix Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project is avaialable on the city's website, Phoenix At Your Fingertips. Graphics and descriptions of the proposed project are a part of the site, which also includes a place to provide feedback. Check us out and tell others to look us up on the internet: www.ci.phoenix.az.us/NBHDPGMS/rioproj.html

If you have any questions or comments or would like to meet with our staff to discuss the project, call Karen Williams in the Neighborhood Services Department at (602) 262-4717.

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1998 Arizona congressional delegation

Senator John McCain
Phone: (202) 224-2235
Fax: (202) 228-2862

Senator Jon Kyl
Phone: (202) 224-4521
Fax: (202) 228-1239

District 1
Congressman Matt Salmon
Phone: (202) 225-2635
Fax: (202) 225-3405

District 2
Congressman Ed Pastor
Phone: (202) 225-4065
Fax: n/a

District 3
Congressman Bob Stump
Phone: (202) 225-4576
Fax: (202) 225-6328

District 4
Congressman John Shadegg
Phone: (202) 225-3361
Fax: (202) 225-3462

District 5
Congressman Jim Kolbe
Phone: (202) 225-2542
Fax: n/a

District 6
Congressman J.D. Hayworth
Phone: (202) 225-2190
Fax: (202) 225-3263

For more information or to receive a mailing address for the delegates, contact Bridget Schwartz Manock at (602) 495-5909.

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