Salt River Project has sharply increased the water it is letting out of two dams on the Salt and Verde rivers, and the larger flow is expected to reach the Phoenix area by 6 p.m. Monday.
In an update posted overnight, SRP said releases from Bartlett and Stewart Mountain dams are now about 54,000 cubic feet per second, or roughly 403,000 gallons every second. That is up from about 20,000 cubic feet per second announced Sunday. The utility said the releases are needed to keep enough storage room in its reservoirs for dam and public safety.
SRP expects the releases to go on for the next several days and said they could climb again overnight, depending on how much water keeps flowing into the reservoir system.
Where the water goes
The water will pass over Granite Reef Diversion Dam and run down the Salt River channel, which is usually dry through the Valley. Roads in the East and West Valley that were built across the riverbed will close, and SRP pointed drivers to AZ511.com for current road information.
"The public is encouraged to observe any signage on road closures," said Tim Skarupa, SRP's senior manager of atmospheric sciences and hydrology.
The City of Tempe has stopped all on-water recreation at Tempe Town Lake until further notice because of the higher flows and the chance of debris, including paddle boats, kayaks, rowing and sailing, KTAR News reported. The parks around the lake are open and fishing is still allowed. The city said the lake's dam is working as designed and passing water through.
