Where Arizona’s Water Starts: SRP’s Reservoirs & Watershed Management

 Behind the scenes of how SRP manages water for over 2.5 million Arizonans

 Read Time: 2–3 Min.

 Tags: #ArizonaWater #SRPWatershed #SaltRiver #VerdeRiver #WaterStewardship

Before water reaches your tap, it travels through mountains, rivers, and reservoirs - and SRP manages every step. Most Arizonans know SRP as their power or water provider, but few realize the full scope of what that means. Behind the scenes, SRP manages a 13,000-square-mile watershed - from the Salt and Verde rivers to critical reservoirs like Roosevelt, Saguaro, and Canyon Lake - working year-round to track flows, improve infrastructure, and prepare for dry seasons.

Visual created with the help of Bing Image AI.

One major example: SRP’s work at Canyon Lake. In 2026, Canyon Lake will close for 16 weeks while the water level is lowered by over 50 feet for scheduled maintenance and safety inspections. According to SRP officials, this temporary drawdown ensures the integrity of water delivery systems and protects long-term public access and safety.

And this isn’t just about the Valley - it’s about sustainability statewide. From hydrologic flumes installed deep in the Verde watershed to forest thinning collaborations with ASU, SRP is using modern science to measure, monitor, and protect Arizona’s water supply. “You can’t manage water if you don’t measure it,” said SRP Hydrographic Scientist Zac Keller. Their newest installations allow teams to track how snowmelt, drought, and even wildfire mitigation projects impact water flows - all of which affect how water is stored and shared downstream.

Reliable water doesn’t happen by accident - it’s engineered. Arizona’s future depends on proactive management, and SRP’s decades of experience help balance growth, conservation, and demand. From recreation to agriculture to your own faucet, it all starts with watershed stewardship. And with more extreme weather on the horizon, this work is more vital than ever.

When it comes to protecting Arizona’s water, SRP isn’t just managing the system - they’re safeguarding the future.

 [💧 Learn About the Watershed | 📍 See Reservoir Levels | 🔗 ElectedLeadershipForSRP.com]