r/ChandlerAZ • u/JustGetawayNow • 5d ago

Water canal questions

Can you explain what the water canal in AZ (i.e. Queen Creek Canal) is used for? Is it a better idea to live close or not close to one?

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u/NoNotAgainOkGo 5d ago

From the city pages…

Dr. Alexander J. Chandler arrived in the Valley in 1887 and pictured a cutting-edge city where Chandler now sits today. He saw land that held great potential and a surrounding desert that held unimaginable beauty. Utilizing the existing canal system of the Native Americans as a blueprint, Dr. Chandler created one of the most advanced irrigation systems in the country, converting the dry desert into farmable land. Water came from both the Salt River and an untapped resource, ground water, which brought new life to the desert. On May 16, 1912, the Town of Chandler was founded.

And

The Chandler Canal System is a historic irrigation network originally developed in 1891 by Dr. A.J. Chandler to transform the arid desert into farmland, with water sourced from the Salt River and groundwater via electric pumps. Today, these canals are managed by the Salt River Project (SRP) and serve as vital recreational corridors for the Phoenix metro area.

I love living close enough to walk and bike them throughout the year.

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u/Schmohawk62 5d ago

Cool facts, thanks

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u/Patriots4life22 5d ago

The water is used for agriculture and municipal drinking water. Treatment plants take that water and make it safe and drinkable. I wouldn’t worry about living near it unless you had small children and worry about them getting into it.

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u/A_SingleSpeeder 5d ago

I'm an avid rider and it's great to be .5 mile away from the canal in the summertime. No driving somewhere, just get up and go at 5AM.

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u/elliottulane 4d ago

Read about the Salt River Project canal system.