The newest community gathering center at Tempe Town Lake will be adjacent to the Salt River Project (SRP) Marina and will provide event space, boating storage, and a visitor’s center on recreational opportunities.

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The Arizona Game and Fish Department is the state agency tasked with conserving, enhancing, and restoring Arizona’s diverse wildlife resources and habitat. It offers a user-friendly website with innumerable ways to enjoy the amazing recreational opportunities in the Arizona outdoors!  Sign up for one of their monthly e-newsletters, and check out the beautiful Base & Meridian Wildlife Area, one of the major public access sites along the RIO.

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Arizona’s outdoor recreation economy is significant and will be impacted by future recreation along the Rio Salado River. Visit their website to educate yourself on the Association and be sure to review this two-page fact sheet (PDF) on the critical value of outdoor industries to our state.

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The Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area aims to restore the native wetland and riparian habitats of the historic Salt River, which once flowed year-round through Phoenix.  With a variety of paved and natural trails, most with smooth surfaces and minimal elevation changes, Rio Salado is a popular location for hikers hoping to spot one of the hundreds of species of birds that use the area as a seasonal migratory path. Six trailheads provide access to the 600 acre park.

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Tempe Town Lake is Arizona’s second-most visited public attraction. The more than 2-mile long lake was created by damming a portion of the dry Salt River and adding water. Today, the lake continues to act like a river to convey rainwater and snow run-off by lowering the dam when needed and raising it again to maintain the water within the lake. Tempe Town Lake is located in the heart of Tempe, running from west of McClintock Road to east of Priest Road between Rio Salado Parkway and Curry Road. A system of paths allows people to walk, jog, bike, and more along its edges. It’s also a great place for electric, wind, and human-powered boats.

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The Tres Rios Environmental Restoration project involves the rehabilitation of nearly 700 acres in and around the Salt River, restoring a vital wetland and riparian habitat. The project creates a mutual relationship between the renewed wetlands and the nearby wastewater treatment plant.

The lush and scenic Tres Rios is home to more than 150 different species of birds and animals like muskrats, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, bobcats, and beavers. The beautiful cottonwood groves, willows, mesquites, and other desert shrubs around the reed-lined ponds and along the trail attract many migratory and wintering songbirds. Its goal of bringing the Salt River back to the condition it was in during the early 1800s, directly contributes to the repair of its natural habitat.

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White Tank Mountain Regional Park is part of Maricopa County Parks system, the largest of its kind in the country, consisting of twelve regional parks covering approximately 120,000 acres. Ten of the parks, including White Tank Mountain Regional Park, are now connected by the Maricopa Trail, a 315-mile trail that encircles the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. The park was established in the 1960s and has gradually been expanded over the years to 30,000 acres with 40 miles of trails, including a mountain bike competition track.

The White Tank Mountains Conservancy was formed to bring together conservationists, developers, and cities to balance environmental concerns with impending development. Established with the help of a diverse coalition of key stakeholders and partners, and supported by a team of volunteers, the White Tank Mountains Conservancy strives to protect the mutually beneficial co-existence of humans and a robust wildlife population which thrives in the open spaces and corridors of the vibrant White Tank Mountains.

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