It doesn’t seem too long ago when the Tempe Town Lake Dam burst in the night causing quite a stir in Tempe. Well, it sounds like that Damn Dam is fixed and water will be flowing into Tempe Town lake VERY soon!
Big props to the people working on this project! Check out this news release from the city of Tempe!
Water to flow into Tempe Town Lake beginning Friday:
Arizona Department of Water Resources has granted Tempe approval to let water flow into Tempe Town Lake beginning this Friday, Oct. 8. The lake is expected to reopen Oct. 25, keeping Tempe’s promise that this valuable amenity would be returned safely to the community Nov. 1.
Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman will be available for interviews at the Tempe Center for the Arts today between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. To schedule an interview, please call Kris Baxter-Ging at (480) 250-5198 or Nikki Ripley at (480) 313-8850.
Hallman extended the city’s thanks to partners that came together to restore Town Lake, including Arizona Department of Water Resources, Flood Control District of Maricopa County, Salt River Project, Army Corps of Engineers, PCL Construction, Stantec and city staff.
“Town Lake has become our community gathering place and, when it emptied on July 20, there was an outpouring of public interest,” Hallman said. “Thousands of people came to look at the empty lake. They had to see for themselves what happened. Now they have an opportunity to watch it fill – some for the second time.”
About 977 million gallons of water will fill Town Lake at an expected flow rate of 100 cubic feet per second. The water will come from Tempe’s share of Roosevelt Lake’s increased capacity. The only cost to refill the lake will be $50,000 to Salt River Project get the water to Town Lake. To see a video of the water’s journey, visit www.tempe.gov/lake and click on the dam replacement link.
The water is estimated to arrive around 7 a.m. through an opening in the north wall of the lake near the sandy Boat Beach. A map to Boat Beach is attached.
Hallman and members of the Tempe City Council will be available at the sandy boat beach beginning at 6 a.m. to welcome the water and to make comments. Media may park on the hard, packed dirt surface adjacent to boat beach.
The best viewing spots will be the sidewalk between Tempe Beach Park and the Tempe Center for the Arts on the south side of the lake or Boat Beach on the north side of the lake. To get to Boat Beach, take Washington/Curry to Lakeview Drive and turn south. There is a parking lot available along the road for public use. Overflow parking is near the Marquee Theater at Mill and Curry.
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