Over the past four decades, Valley communities, with many local, state, and federal government agencies and nongovernmental organizations, have engaged in efforts to revitalize the Rio Salado and its watershed. The cities of Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa have invested in parks, bike paths, bridges, river improvements, and other projects. Previous planning and revitalization efforts include six U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects focused on flood control, ecological restoration and recreation: the El Rio Watercourse Master Plan, Tres Rios Habitat Restoration and Wetlands, Rio Salado Oeste, Rio Salado Phoenix, Rio Salado Tempe and Rio Salado Mesa. Some of these projects have been successfully funded and implemented, while others are still in a planning phase.
The most notable of the projects implemented to date is the Tempe Town Lake which has contributed new or enhanced recreation and cultural amenities, public art, riparian habitat, economic development, tourism, employment and housing to the Valley. Another significant environmental asset is the Tres Rios Environmental Habitat Restoration project which has rehabilitated nearly 700 acres in and around the Salt River, restoring 52 acres of vital wetlands. It is the fourth largest constructed wetland in the U.S., and has created significant riparian habitat that results in increased, ecotourism from global markets. The Tres Rios project created a unique mutually-beneficial relationship between the wetlands and a nearby wastewater treatment plant supporting several growing cities in the metro region. Check out
the website MAP which includes links to a number of projects in the river corridor.