Where does all of Arizona's flood water go? – ABC15 Arizona

Where does all of Arizona’s flood water go?  ABC15 Arizona

Historic rainfall across Arizona is creating a rare sight in the Valley. The Salt River is rushing, carrying thousands of cubic feet of water per second through the Phoenix metropolitan area.The storms have delivered a significant boost to Arizona's water supplies, but they've also created flooding concerns as water makes its way downstream toward Painted Rock Reservoir near Gila Bend.According to Salt River Project (SRP), Arizona received so much rainfall that reservoirs were at risk of overflowing."We had to release it so that water didn't go over the top," said Bo Svoma with SRP. "So we had big flood concerns on one side, and big water savings benefits on the

other."The releases are being closely monitored by the Maricopa County Flood Control District, which works to reduce flood risks across the Valley."Our goal is to capture that water before it gets into major metropolitan areas, control it, release it in a way that it's not flooding, but runoff that can be in a channel or stream," said Daniel Henz with the district.Much of the water flowing through the Salt River eventually makes its way toward Painted Rock Dam, southwest of Phoenix near Gila Bend.Unlike reservoirs designed to store water for drinking or irrigation, Painted Rock Reservoir is primarily a flood-control facility.The reservoir is typically dry, but during major storms it