If you passed by Tempe Town Lake recently, you might have wondered about water flowing over the dam and into the typically dry bed of the Salt River beyond, but don’t worry: As city of Tempe spokesperson Kris Baxter-Ging explained, the outflow is simply how the lake deals with the extra water released upstream by Salt River Project:
“The lake can only hold a certain amount of water so, when water comes into our lake from the upper Salt River, we have to allow it to pass through," said Baxter-Ging.
The outflow clocks in at only around 600 cubic feet per second — a mere trickle, compared to the 200,000 cubic feet per second that the system is designed to handle.
Tempe Town Lake remains open and safe for use.
