CITY OF PHOENIX | RIO SALADO PROJECT

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Downtown Phoenix skyline looking west at dusk


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Rio Salado History

When the River Flowed
The goal of the Phoenix Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project is to restore the native wetland and riparian (i.e. riverbank) habitats that were historically associated with the Salt River, which once flowed year-round through what is now Phoenix.

The Hohokam, a farming people who lived in southern and central Arizona roughly from 1 A.D. to 1450, used the Salt River to turn the Salt and Gila river valleys into lush green farmland and thriving villages. Unsurpassed as farmers, the Hohokam established an extensive canal network branching out from the river to irrigate a variety of crops.

The Pueblo Grande Museum in central Phoenix houses the remains of a Hohokam village and the museum’s website has extensive information on the Hohokam’s presence in the Valley of the Sun.

Even in relatively modern times, the Salt River continued to hold a central place in the consciousness of the Valley’s residents. As recently as the turn of the century, postcards from the era demonstrate the pride that the river generated.

Dams
Shortly after the turn of the century, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation placed dams along the Salt and Verde Rivers to create a series of lakes. While the dams achieved their goal of providing a reliable water supply for the valley, they left behind a dry, barren riverbed.

Today, the land along the riverbed has become lined with landfills, sand and gravel pits, and industrial areas interspersed with a few older neighborhoods. It is a part of this landscape that the Rio Salado project has transformed.


	A bench made of concrete taken from the river bottom adorns the site of the wetlands demonstration project.

Last Modified on 10/03/2007 09:58:52