Flood warnings continue in Arizona as spring weather warms
Flood warnings will continue through 5 p.m. Friday and possibly longer as significant streamflow continues to impact the Salt, Gila and Verde rivers after a winter marked by heavy rain and snowfall at higher elevations, the National Weather Service in Phoenix said.
Warming spring temperatures have caused the snowpack accumulated during the moisture-heavy winter to melt, resulting in elevated water runoff into lakes, rivers, creeks and dams throughout the state.
The rapid snow melt prompted Salt River Project to release water from SRP reservoirs in order to make room for the excess water flows and prevent any sort of dam failure, resulting in flood warnings along the Salt, Gila and Verde rivers.
Those flood warnings were initially issued for areas along the rivers on March 9 and continually updated by the weather service as heavy rainfall coupled with SRP dam releases caused elevated water flow in low-lying areas through March and into early April.
"Right now, if you were to look at all the warnings, they do all go out until 5 p.m. this Friday," said Sean Benedict, a weather service meteorologist in Phoenix. "That's still sort of tentative because it's all dependent on the amount of water flow and the releases being done by the Salt River Project, so they will still likely be extended."
The continued SRP releases along the Salt River will partly come from Bartlett Dam and Granite Reef Dam, according to Benedict. The elevated water flows will make their way down to the Gila River and Tempe Town Lake, impacting agricultural and recreational activities throughout the state.
Salt River below Saguaro Lake
When: Now- April 7 at 5 p.m.
Cautions:
Closures of unbridged road crossings
Flooding of normally dry river beds impacting agricultural and industrial interests
Unusually strong currents in Tempe Town Lake
Details: There are still plenty of roads closed below Saguaro Lake due to the ongoing flooding, according to the weather service in Phoenix. The unbridged crossings on McKellips and Gilbert roads upstream of Tempe Town Lake will remain closed until the flood warning is lifted. Downstream of Tempe Town Lake, flooding in low water crossings in Phoenix on 67th and 91st avenues and in Avondale on El Mirage Road is expected to continue. The gravel pit operations along the Salt River starting on Granite Reef Dam are amongst the industrial interests impacted by the flooding.
Gila River from Avondale to Yuma County line
When: Now- April 7 at 5 p.m.
Cautions:
Closures of unbridged crossings
Flooding of normally dry riverbeds impacting agricultural and industrial interests
Elevated water flow along low-lying roads
Details: Farmland and rural roads downstream of the Phoenix area will be impacted by the elevated water flows of the Gila River, according to Benedict. The main impacts of the elevated Gila River flow from Avondale to the Yuma County line can be seen in agricultural areas as flooding continues to occur in normally dry riverbeds.
Verde River below Bartlett Lake
When: Now - April 7 at 5:00 p.m. MST
Cautions:
Affected recreation sites
Strong currents in recreational lakes, deep water and cold water temperatures
Hazardous conditions for kayakers and other recreational interests
Details: Releases from Bartlett Lake have slowed down over the last few weeks, according to the weather service in Phoenix. The main concerns in the area are that increased flows along the Verde River created strong currents and hazardous conditions for recreational activities along the river. Affected recreation sites include Needle Rock, Verde River, Fort McDowell, Phon D. Sutton Riverside Campground just below Barlett Dam, Coon Bluff, Goldfied, Blue Point, Pebble Beach, and Tonto Basin.
Benedict said the weather service will re-evaluate the continuance of the flood warnings as Friday draws closer.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Flood warnings continue in Arizona as spring weather warms
