Canal dry-ups
Each fall and winter, portions of SRP's major canals north and south of the Salt River are dried up for about a month, each side separately, so construction
and maintenance work can be done. During the dry-up, trash and debris are cleaned from the canals.
The next scheduled dry-up will occur on the following date:
- Southside dry-up: Friday, Nov. 20 through Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009
Portions of the South, Consolidated, Eastern, Tempe, Western and Highline canals on the south side of the Salt River will be drained for annual maintenance and construction activities. Many of SRP's southside irrigation customers will not receive water from the canals during the dry-up.
The affected areas include Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, Chandler and south Phoenix.
During this dry-up, weed-eating white amur fish that are used to control aquatic vegetation in the canals will be relocated to other areas of the canal system. The herding and relocation of the fish will be conducted during the first few days of the dry-up schedule, starting Saturday morning. SRP now utilizes white amurs throughout its 131-mile Valley canal system.
In some areas, recreational use of the canal banks is restricted during dry-ups. For their safety, people who use the canal banks for recreational activities should note the increased construction and maintenance activities along the canal banks during dry-ups.
Under no circumstances should residents enter the canals. Posted warning signs should be obeyed.
SRP is responsible for keeping its canal system in operating condition during normal water deliveries. Canal dry-ups allow SRP as well as other utilities and municipalities to perform construction and maintenance activities in and around the canals.
During the dry-up, trash and debris are cleaned from the canals. Portions of the canals are lined with a cement-like protective covering to help minimize water loss through seepage into the ground. More than half of the 131-mile system has been lined.
Local governments use the dry-up periods to do road work near the canals and to
build or improve bridges over the canals.
