Salt river flows bring new life

Recent heavy rains across the region recently caused the Salt River Project to release extra water into the Salt River bed, directly impacting the diverse array of plants and animals that inhabit the area.

On Monday evening, water releases from upstream facilities surged above 400,000 gallons per second. Rushing over the dam at Tempe Town Lake, the powerful torrent crashed into the riverbed below with a deep rumble that could be felt all the way from the sidewalks along its banks.

Moving further downstream near Seventh Avenue in Phoenix, those exact same rushing waters nearly submerged local trees, leaving only the very tips of their highest branches poking out above the surface level.

Paul Tashjian, who works as the director of freshwater conservation with the group Audubon Southwest, said desert rivers are naturally accustomed to extended periods of dry conditions followed by massive, sudden flood events that work to reinvigorate their local ecosystems.

While this sudden rush of water can initially overwhelm some vegetation, the river will gradually recede back into a minor trickle, leaving behind saturated soil and temporary standing pools across the gravel flats.

According to environmental experts, these lingering pools will encourage insects to spawn, which in turn provides an essential food supply for local birds, frogs, and toads. Large waterfowl are also expected to use the temporary river flows as an ideal stopover during their seasonal migration journeys.

The ultimate, long-term impact that these heavy flows will have on local plant populations remains difficult to predict, and specialists say that the full picture will not become completely clear until springtime arrives.