Rio Salado Update September 1997

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

Dear Friend
Water supply for the Rio Salado
Questions and answers about the Rio Salado Project

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Dear Friend

Several decades ago, the flowing Salt River was an integral part of Phoenix as it made its 16-mile journey through the heart of our city. Although today the river is dry and blighted, we have an opportunity to once again turn it back into a treasured community resource through the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project. I'd like to invite you to join us in that effort as a member of the Rio Salado Team.

The Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project - the city's current inititiative to bring enough water into the Salt River to support native grasslands, trees and wildlife while preserving the river's flood capacity - has already made significant progress. In partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers, the city of Phoenix is planning a way to restore the river to create an environmental and recreational amenity for our community. Our goal is to have this plan completed and revised in time to be funded through the 1998 Federal Water Resources Development Act.

Sheryl Sculley

What's involved in being part of the Rio Salado Team? As a team member you will be kept up to date on the progress being made on the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project. You then will be able to share this information with your friends, family and co-workers so they will understand the project's benefits. And you will have the opportunity to express your support of the Rio Salado Project to our elected officials to help secure funding for the project.

We will keep you informed about the project and invite you to the special milestone events planned for the Rio Salado Team. If you would like to meet personally with our staff to discuss the project or to be added to our mailing list, please call Karen Williams in our Neighborhood Services Department at (602) 262-4717. Thank you for your interest and support.

Sincerely

Sheryl Sculley
Assistant City Manager

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Water supply for the Rio Salado

Two major issues have challenged the idea of a Rio Salado for many years: Where will the water come from and how do you handle the floods? This month we'll explore how water will be brought to the project and how that water will be used.

Designed to be environmentally conscious, the Rio Salado habitat restoration project will use only water that is not used for municipal water supplies. This water will be pumped from shallow wells drilled into an aquifer, or layer of water-bearing sand and gravel that lies directly under the river, and our use of it will make a minor change in the water table in this immediate area. It will use approximately 6 million gallons of water per day to support the trees, grasslands, wetlands, ponds and stream in the habitat area.

This is equal to about 300 backyard swimming pools. The design for the project reflects the habitat found in native desert rivers, including the proportions and types of vegetation that occur naturally in such areas. For example, in the 550 acres of the project, there will be 49 acres of wetland marshes, 99 acres of cottonwood and willow trees and 130 acres of mesquite trees. The stream in the river bottom will replicate a small desert stream, meandering and braiding through the bottom lands. It will extend for about 50 percent of the length of the project and support 15 acres of grasslands and shrubs and another nine acres of wetland marshes.

Once the water has been pumped from the ground, how will it get to the plants and wetlands? Detailed plans for distributing water will be developed during pre-construction engineering of the project, but our present concept involves two systems. Six wells would be located in pairs on the north and south sides of the river at 24th Street, Seventh Street and Central Avenue. From these locations, water will be fed into open ditches along the top of the banks of the river, similar to the historic irrigation laterals that feed water into farm fields. Water from these canals will be diverted with irrigation gates down the side slopes into wetlands and water bodies on the river terrace. Outfall from these areas again will be taken down slopes leading to the low-flow channel to feed the stream and ponds located there.

A second water delivery system involves putting water into a pressurized pipe, also located along the bank tops. Valves on the pipes would allow spray heads to be attached and water would be delivered to the trees and vegetation areas by large pressure sprays, again similar to agricultural spray systems used through much of the Midwest.

Finally, since the riverbed is very sandy and porous, how will we keep the water from simply soaking back into the riverbed?

First, there will be liners placed under the major water surface locations - the wetlands, distribution canal and ponds. This will consist of a clay lining that will reduce water losses by about 90 percent. In addition, a liner will be placed underground beneath the ponds in the low-flow channel, which will reduce flood damage and also help spread water out to support vegetation growing along the stream and ponds.

In the next issue: "Flood control in the Rio Salado."

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Questions and answers about the Rio Salado Project

An important part of the Rio Salado planning process is finding out what Phoenix residents think about the project. City staff members have been meeting and talking with residents to learn what questions, opinions, ideas and concerns they have. This column is devoted to answering some of the most frequently asked questions about the Rio Salado Project.

1. How will this help flood control?

A. Corps of Engineers requires that the project be designed so it doesn't lessen any of the river's present flood capacity. Particularly with the new flood storage at Roosevelt Dam, the river channel through central Phoenix has more than enough capacity for the "one-hundred-year" flood. By adding a low-flow channel as part of the project design, the Rio Salado will be able to sustain habitat in the channel while not reducing flood conveyance capacity.

2. Will this be like Tempe?

A. Tempe is a participant in the Rio Salado project with Phoenix and the Corps of Engineers. Tempe also is planning Town Lake, a two-mile-long lake near ASU and downtown Tempe. Rather than habitat restoration, the lake will be used for recreation purposes and to encourage redevelopment near Tempe's downtown. It is being paid for by revenues generated from redeveloped land Tempe owns alongside the proposed lake.

3. Will the marshy area be safe for children?

A. None of the project will be designed for human aquatic recreation, such as wading or swimming. However, casual contact with water in the project will not cause harm to humans. Because the project is designed to restore and protect habitat, there will be locations for access by people but there also will be areas set aside for the habitat so that wildlife can flourish undisturbed. Locations for most of the formal trails, overlooks and information centers will be on the top of the banks, throughout the length of the project. Similar to the Phoenix Mountain Preserves, the Rio Salado will offer opportunities and risks as children and adults explore the environment created by a major desert river. However, the city will make every effort to provide a natural environment that is safe for children and adults.

4. What about birds and the airport?

A. Bird strike potential is a concern of Sky Harbor Airport officials. It is for this reason that the first phase of the Rio Salado goes east only to the I-10 bridge, next to the airport. In addition, the project design in those areas nearest the airport will not feature significant amounts of open water and will be designed to minimize attractiveness to the birds that are of concern to aviation officials.

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