Bartlett Dam, a key source of water and power generation for Salt River Project in the Phoenix area, is slowly filling in with sediment.
Bartlett is one of two dams that span the Verde River about 25 to 30 miles upriver from Fountain Hills. Its companion, just up from Bartlett Lake, is Horseshoe Dam and reservoir and both are collecting sediment that is impacting their effective capacity.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (the owner of the dams) and Salt River Project (operations manager) have been working for a couple of years on the Verde Reservoirs Sediment Mitigation Project and are currently in the Environmental Impact Statement phase of the work. A series of public meetings are being held to receive input from stakeholders and interested parties. One session was held in Fountain Hills on July 29.
