The water level at the lake, which is located northeast of Apache Junction, will be lowered by about 55 feet in September. SRP says this type of maintenance, which takes place every 20 years, involves equipment located underwater that is only accessible by lowering the lake level. The utility says no water will be lost in the process, it will just be stored in other reservoirs.
“It will drop about 2 feet per day until it reaches the desired level and then which will take about four weeks roughly,” said Amanda Oliver with Tonto National Forest.
That means boat launches, picnic sites, the marina and the Dolly Steamboat Lake Cruises will be closed. The town of Tortilla Flat, however, will stay open.
The entire operation is expected to take about 16 weeks to complete.
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Then join us at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8, as KJZZ senior field correspondent Alex Hager presents your questions and concerns to a panel of experts. -
Republican state lawmakers want the state’s water agency to keep them apprised of all Colorado River negotiations, indicating that the governor is getting more updates than them. -
Leaders with the Central Arizona Project opened the door to potential lawsuits over the federal management of Colorado River water. -
Cataloging information from the Confluence may also be used to potentially deter future commercial development by industries like hydropower — while the Trump administration is eyeing energy projects on tribal lands. -
About 48 miles of the Upper Verde River and Sycamore Creek west of Sedona were granted the Tier 3 Outstanding Arizona Waters designation this week.
