A pipeline built about two years ago is now transporting water across the Salt River under the Gilbert Road Bridge.

Suspended underneath the Gilbert Road Bridge is the newly completed Gilbert Road Pipeline, which is operated by Salt River Project, the largest water provider in the greater Phoenix metro area. SRP provides 260 billion gallons of water each year to about 2.5 million Valley residents.

The pipeline project was a challenging feat for engineers, according to SRP. It required installation of 3.5 miles of 36-inch pipeline to transport approximately 20,000 gallons of water a minute uphill from SRP wells and an underground storage facility, south of the Salt River, to the Arizona Canal.

SRP said the project strengthens Valley water reliability and responds to changing water demand across the region.

3 Takeaways:

• The new pipeline carries water uphill from SRP wells across the Salt River to the Arizona Canal.
• SRPMIC President Harvier shares his thoughts on the pipeline.
• Arizona faces big Colorado River water cuts.

In a July 30 SRP news release, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community President Martin Harvier shared his thoughts on the importance of delivering water to the region with the new pipeline:

“Water has always been essential to the O’odham and Piipaash people, and thoughtful stewardship remains one of our greatest responsibilities. Projects like the Gilbert Road Pipeline demonstrate what is possible when strong partnerships are built on mutual respect and a shared commitment to planning for future generations. We are proud to work alongside SRP and our regional partners to help strengthen long-term water reliability for our Community and the Valley.”

Five new high-capacity water production wells will be installed near the Granite Reef Underground Storage Project, or GRUSP, which was completed in 1996. Operated by SRP, GRUSP is one of the largest water-banking facilities in the state.

GRUSP is located near Mesa in the bed of the Salt River about four miles downstream of the Granite Reef Diversion Dam. According to SRP, a collaborative effort involving the SRPMIC, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, SRP and other organizations resulted in a land-lease agreement in late 2013 which extended the life of GRUSP until 2033.

SRP operates GRUSP in partnership with the cities of Scottsdale, Mesa, Phoenix, Gilbert, Chandler and Tempe.

The Maricopa County Department of Transportation constructed the Gilbert Road Bridge, which opened for public transportation last year. The pipeline project was a partnership between the SRPMIC, SRP and MCDOT.

The water flowing through the pipeline from GRUSP includes Colorado River water and reclaimed wastewater that has been stored underground beginning in the 1990s.

On Aug. 21, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation finalized the 2027–2028 Operating Guidelines, cutting 1.25 million acre-feet of Colorado River water annually to the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada in 2027 and 2028.

Arizona faces a mandatory reduction of 760,000 acre-feet of water per year, about a 31% reduction in the state’s usual allotment of Colorado River water. Lake Mead, an artificial reservoir of the Colorado River, currently is at its lowest water level on record at only 27% full.