PHOENIX — Canyon Lake will be closed for about 16 weeks starting on Sept. 16 for safety inspections and maintenance, SRP officials said.
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Salt River Project and the Bureau of Reclamation said that Tonto National Forest will close Canyon Lake, including all boat ramps and access points, for 16 weeks to lower the water level by 54 feet for “critical dam safety inspections and maintenance.”
The maintenance projects are done every 20 years “to ensure safety and water reliability for 2.5 million Valley residents,” according to the press release. “Throughout the project, no water will be wasted. Water drawn from Canyon Lake will be used to satisfy normal deliveries to SRP water customers. In addition, water will continue to be stored in other reservoirs with no interruption in water delivery.”
SRP said that during maintenance, some equipment is underwater and requires the water level to be lower for servicing.
Mormon Flat and Horse Mesa dams will be the focus of submerged portions, as well as the river channel downstream of Horse Mesa Dam, SRP added.
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The timeline would be as follows:
- Four weeks to lower the water levels
- Eight weeks to complete the inspection and maintenance work
- Four weeks to bring the water level to normal
To learn more about the project, visit the Canyon Lake Drawdown webpage.
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