Around the ValleyMonday, November 9
Tempe Town Lake is closed to boating, fishing and swimming until further notice
The Good Day Chandler team
If you were planning a day on the water in Tempe, hold off. Boating, fishing and swimming at Tempe Town Lake are prohibited until further notice because of shore damage and bacterial contamination, including E. coli, after historic floods in the Salt and Verde rivers.
The city said in a press release that the water “has downed full-sized trees, sent abandoned boats over the dam, and eroded several feet of sand from Town Lake’s Boat Beach.” Tempe says the dam is working as designed, and the closure is out of caution because of debris.
Storm flows hit Tempe Town Lake hard
- 8 times
- the average water inflow in the Salt and Verde watersheds
- Over 75,000
- cubic feet of water per second expected through the lake Nov. 2
Sources: KJZZ, Your Valley
- Women's triathlon, Nov. 8: no swim section
- Next step: the city waits for excess river water to flow out
- Forecast: bacteria levels return to typical after that
Tempe also closed its parks and athletic areas Nov. 2 and expected them to reopen later that week. Shore activity is unaffected now, and parks and bike trails are open.
Water activities are off limits, but the shore is open
| Activity | Status |
|---|---|
| Boating | Prohibited until further notice |
| Fishing | Prohibited until further notice |
| Swimming | Prohibited until further notice |
| Parks and bike trails | Open |
Source: KJZZ
Sources: KJZZ, Your Valley