May 24, 2023 – The Phoenix-area canals are one of the central stories of the Salt River. Dating back more than 1,500 years to Hohokam times, the story of the lower Salt River is inextricably linked to the story of the canals that are fed by it. No story of the Salt River would be complete without a firsthand exploration of the canals. With that in mind, I started to familiarize myself with the vast irrigation network, which is owned by the federal government but operated by the Salt River Valley Water User’s Association, a division of the Salt River Project (SRP), which provides water and electricity to the Phoenix area.
My investigation started in the heart of Phoenix on the Grand Canal where it crosses 7th Street. In 2021, SRP sponsored the Phoenix Mural Project in which local artists painted murals along the so-called Grand Canalscape, which is an urban pathway stretching from 7th Street to 15th Avenue. I hoped to photograph some of the artwork along the pathway. One of these murals was, in fact, located at my starting point. I photographed the mural and then headed west toward 15th Avenue.
While I walked along the Grand Canalscape, I noticed several large fish about 30 inches long swimming in the canal. They were white amurs (also called grass carp), a non-native fish SRP planted in the canals in 1989 to control weeds and algae. White amur adults are vegetarians and were introduced as a biological control of canal vegetation. They can eat two-thirds of their bodyweight every day when grown and thereby provide an effective service to keep the canals clear. When I reached Central Avenue, I crossed the canal and walked back to my starting point.
Next, I drove to Pueblo Grande to revisit the intersection of the Grand Canal and the Old Crosscut Canal near Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport. I followed the Grand Canal east toward the Old Crosscut Canal and the Hohokam Expressway, taking pictures and looking for more white amurs. As I had the first time I visited Pueblo Grande, I enjoyed seeing the planes fly overhead and land at Sky Harbor. I photographed a few of those. But I did not see any fish here.
Finally, I traveled to northeastern Phoenix on the edge of Scottsdale to visit Arizona Falls. Arizona Falls is a naturally occurring 20-foot drop in the Arizona Canal. As such, it provides enough head of water to power a small hydroelectric plant. Arizona Falls generates 750 kilowatts of electricity, enough to power about 150 homes, according to SRP. In addition to the hydroelectric plant, SRP has constructed an artistic viewing platform to walk around the falls and learn about the canal system. The platform includes three decorative waterfalls and a seating area. I photographed the falls and left.
It was a short day trip on the canals, covering no more than a few of the 131 miles of canals in the irrigation district. Yet, I had gained valuable insight into the system. Specifically, SRP has done a great job incorporating the canals into city life. From the Grand Canalscape to Arizona Falls, SRP’s investment in the community is evident – and not without some risk. Rather than merely fence off the canals for public safety to limit its liability, SRP has chosen to make them an integral part of city life as they have been since the time of the Hohokam.