WaterSaturday, November 7
SRP's reservoirs jumped from 53% to 70% full after record fall rain
The 5AM Phoenix team
Last weekend's flooding was deadly in parts of Arizona, but the rain left one bright spot. SRP says its reservoirs went from 53% full on Nov. 1 to 70% full by Nov. 6, a gain of 370,000 acre-feet, or 120 billion gallons.
SRP's reservoirs climbed from 53% to 70% full in under a week
70%SRP reservoir storage on Nov. 6
Sources: AZ Family, ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix (KNXV)
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| SRP reservoir storage on Nov. 6 | 70% |
| Nov. 1 | 53% |
To make room, SRP released up to 403,000 gallons of water per second into the Salt and Verde rivers, a rare fall release. Stephen Flora, an SRP senior hydrologist, said the system saw in a few days "what we get all winter." Releases are back to normal now.
This fall's SRP release, up to 403,000 gallons per second, topped 2023's
Source: Colts Wire
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Spring 2023 spill | 277K |
| Fall 2026 release, up to | 403K |
- Verde River peak inflow: about 94,000 cubic feet per second
- Roosevelt Lake peak inflow: about 145,000 cubic feet per second
- Flagstaff: wettest fall on record
Tempe Town Lake is the downside. Tempe says it stays closed to boating and fishing for now, with E. coli among the concerns, and ASU moved its women's collegiate triathlon championship to a duathlon. Some Salt River bed roads may stay closed, so check ADOT's website before you drive.
Sources: AZ Family, ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix (KNXV), Colts Wire