Arizona Falls

Arizona Falls is a waterfall located in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. It formed when the Arizona Canal, a man-made canal, crossed a natural drop of 20 feet (6.1m) in the Arcadia neighborhood. It was a popular spot for social activities, both before and after it was converted to a hydroelectric power plant that provided electricity to Phoenix. The site was abandoned after producing power for 50 years. Modern air conditioning reduced the attraction of the falls, and the area was neglected for decades. The site was reconstructed in the early 2000s as both a public-art project, and a functional power plant. It generates enough electricity for approximately 150 homes in Phoenix. The park is used by joggers, cyclists, and walkers. It is also a popular tourist attraction. The park was opened in 2003.

The waterfall was built by William J. Murphy, a contractor. Murphy, a midwestern entrepreneur had just finished work on a grading job for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad in Arizona when he was awarded a contract to construct the Arizona Canal. This canal would take water from the Salt River and distribute it, primarily for agricultural purposes, to the northern part of the Valley of the Sun. The canal was built in 1883. It reached a hard rock formation by 1884. The rock was left in place and the water flowed over it to create the man-made waterfall.

Valley Forward awarded the Presidents Award to the project in 2003. This award recognizes efforts that "improve the quality of life and environment in the Phoenix region". It was named "Best Public Art" by the Arizona Republic in 2003. It was among the ten finalists from 70 nominations for the Phoenix Point of Pride in January 2004.

SRP encourages local schoolteachers to use it to teach about renewable energy. SRP provides lesson plans.

Concrete channels run beneath a deck, called the Stoa Deck after the Greek word "gathering place". They guide the canal into the power station turbines at an average rate 750 cu.ft/s (21m3/s). 10-15 cu ft/s (0.28 -0.42 m3/s). Water is diverted to the park's waterfall features, which include two 20-foot waterfalls (6.1 m) and a 10-foot (3.0m) water wall. These water walls surround the viewing platform. They are fed by two small water aqueducts.

Alberto Rios, Arizona's first state poet laureate wrote poetry about water. Now, it is sandblasted to concrete. Although the park is located on Bureau of Reclamation land that was leased to SRP, it is maintained by the City of Phoenix along with the adjacent G.R. Herberger Park is where visitor parking is available for the combined facility. The site was reopened to public on June 21, 2003. The park project was combined along with a street landscaping improvement project on two miles (48th to 64th Streets) of Indian School Road. This road runs from 48th through 64th Streets. Martino also designed landscaping and decorative walls to hide the canal.

Phoenix AZ Pueblo Grande Museum Archaeological Park
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