Rio Salado Construction Update
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| The low-flow channel, pictured here, will allow the Rio Salado to maintain its capacity to carry flood water once vegetation is planted. The sloping north bank of the channel can be seen on the right side of both pictures. | ||
Crews are hard at work digging the second phase of the low-flow channel for Rio Salado. The 200-feet wide and approximately 20-feet deep channel provides needed flood protection in the larger channel, once vegetation is planted. The second phase runs from 4th Street to just downstream of Interstate 10. The Flood Control District of Maricopa County sponsors the low-flow project. The first phase, from 19th Avenue to 4th Street, is already finished
With one more permit in hand, construction can begin on the habitat demonstration project on the terrace area near the northeast quadrant of Central Avenue and the Salt River. This will be the first wetland pond constructed in the Rio Salado project, which extends from Interstate 10 downstream to 19th Avenue.
Keep an eye out for the 1,000-tree forest being planted west of Central Avenue on the north terrace and west of 7th Avenue on the south terrace, taking advantage of the flow of water from a series of storm drains. The project will move forward as soon as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers receives the funds that Congress approved in the 2002 Energy and Water spending bill this November.