Despite record heat, SRP says watershed in good spot

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Remember all the flooding around Arizona last March? Rain and snowmelt from an active winter sent water rushing from the High Country downstream to the Valley. Sedona streets were flooded and some areas were evacuated as the waters rose. SRP released water from their dams as they filled up with water. The released water went downstream and flooded streets in Phoenix along the Salt River.

The Valley has had record heat since the end of June with limited rain. SRP says despite the dry and hot conditions, our watershed is in a good spot after a wet spring. “It gives the aquifers a really healthy drink and a break from some of the demands that have been put on it through groundwater pumping in those dry years,” SRP manager of aquifer management and data analytics Sharon Morris said. “We have that backup supply. We have those groundwater assets.”

Morris said we had the most runoff this year since the 1970s. All that water didn’t go to waste. Morris says it filled up their dams and aquifer. Right now, SRP says they are only pumping from the aquifer in some areas. They don’t typically pull up water from underground unless it’s been years of drought. “If you just have a hot, dry summer for a few months, we are going to be able to meet the demand,” Morris said.

SRP says the last time they had to ramp up pumping for water was during 2020 when it was dry. The water they manage is used in your home, golf courses and more.

To learn more about SRP and how they manage water, click here. https://www.srpnet.com/grid-water-management/water-recreation/lakes

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