Salt River Project

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Salt River Project

irrigation project, Arizona, United States

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July 13, 2026

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The Salt River Project is a significant irrigation system in central Arizona, United States. It was developed to support large-scale commercial farming by providing water to the Phoenix area, which is now the state's agricultural heartland.1

The Salt River itself is formed by the confluence of the Black and White rivers in eastern Gila county and flows west for 200 miles before emptying into the Gila River near Phoenix. The Salt River valley was historically cultivated by the Hohokam people, who built irrigation canals. The Salt River Project, completed in 1911, includes several dams on the Salt and Verde rivers, crucial for water storage and flood control. This project was essential for the success of commercial agriculture in Arizona, which requires organized, large-scale operations with advanced technology.21

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Mesa
…from a Salt River reclamation project. It experienced rapid growth after World War II, and its basic farm economy diversified to include manufacturing, tourism, and retail trade. It is the site of a Mormon Temple (1927), Mesa Community College (1965), and the University of Arizona’s Agricultural Experimental Station. Salt River…
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…from a Salt River reclamation project. It experienced rapid growth after World War II, and its basic farm economy diversified to include manufacturing, tourism, and retail trade. It is the site of a Mormon Temple (1927), Mesa Community College (1965), and the University of Arizona’s Agricultural Experimental Station. Salt River…
Read More

Phoenix
The boomtown years
…the creation of a large-scale project to control the flow of the river and harness its water for irrigation. The National Reclamation Act of 1902 had made government funding available for such public works. In 1905 construction began on the Roosevelt Dam, the first such structure on the Salt River;…
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…the creation of a large-scale project to control the flow of the river and harness its water for irrigation. The National Reclamation Act of 1902 had made government funding available for such public works. In 1905 construction began on the Roosevelt Dam, the first such structure on the Salt River;…
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Arizona
Development of commercial agriculture
The Salt River Project, completed in 1911, delivered water to farmers in the Phoenix area (now the state’s agricultural heartland). Water shortages continued to plague the state, however, and in 1963, after a long and bitter fight with California, Arizona obtained a ruling by the U.S.…
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The Salt River Project, completed in 1911, delivered water to farmers in the Phoenix area (now the state’s agricultural heartland). Water shortages continued to plague the state, however, and in 1963, after a long and bitter fight with California, Arizona obtained a ruling by the U.S.…
Read More

Scottsdale
…by several canals of the Salt River Project; lettuce, grain, and cotton are grown in the surrounding area. The community, originally a stagecoach stop between Camp McDowell and Phoenix, was founded in 1888 and named for Winfield Scott, who settled the site with his brother George in the late 1880s.…
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…by several canals of the Salt River Project; lettuce, grain, and cotton are grown in the surrounding area. The community, originally a stagecoach stop between Camp McDowell and Phoenix, was founded in 1888 and named for Winfield Scott, who settled the site with his brother George in the late 1880s.…
Read More