|
WHAT IS THE WEST
VALLEY RIVERS PROJECT?
The West Valley Rivers Project is actually two separate, on-going
projects: (1) Agua Fria Watercourse Master Plan, sponsored by
the Flood Control District of Maricopa County (FCDMC) and (2)
New River and Lower Agua Fria River Multi-Modal Corridor Study,
sponsored by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), and
funded by the Arizona Department of Transportation.
WHAT IS THE AGUA FRIA WATERCOURSE
MASTER PLAN?
The Master Plan is funded by the Flood Control District of Maricopa
County to examine non-structural flood control issues for the
Agua Fria River. This project focuses on protecting the public
from the hazards of flooding. The Master Plan also provides an
opportunity to integrate open space and recreation uses with
floodplain management. A watercourse master plan is a comprehensive
flood control plan that includes hydraulic engineering analysis,
future land use and development, and environmental considerations.
The creation of the Master Plan is authorized by state statute
(ARS 48-3609.01) For more information, call Doug Williams, Flood
Control District Project Manager, at (602) 506-8743, or send
e-mail to daw@mail.maricopa.gov
. You can also visit the project website at www.agua-fria.org.
WHAT IS THE NEW
RIVER & LOWER AGUA FRIA MULTI-MODAL CORRIDOR STUDY?
The New River & Lower Agua Fria Multi-Modal Corridor Study
is a planned 42-mile non-motorized system of urban and rural
trails along the New River and Lower Agua Fria River. Designed
with the pedestrian, hiker, bicyclist and equestrian in mind,
this project offers a unique opportunity to create travel routes
to and from homes, businesses, schools and recreation destinations.
This study is sponsored by the Maricopa Association of Governments
(MAG) with funding through the Arizona Department of Transportation
(ADOT) and the Transportation Equity Act 21st Century (TEA-21)
Transportation Enhancement Program.
The Corridor stretches
southwest from the community of New River to the convergence
of the Lower Agua Fria with the Gila River (click here to see map ). Several jurisdictions
within Maricopa County are connected by the Corridor including
Avondale, Glendale, Goodyear, Peoria, Phoenix, and the community
of New River.
The design of the
trailway emphasizes maintaining the rich diversity of plant and
animal habitats, cultural and historic resources, and beautiful
vistas found along the river. Protecting these features from
the adverse effects of rapid urban development is a main function
of the study.
For questions about
this project, contact Dawn M. Coomer, MAG Multi-Modal Program
Manager at (602) 254-6300 or dcoomer@mag.maricopa.gov.
Other study objectives
include:
- Trail linkages
to city bikeways and public transit
- Open space conservation
- Environmental and
cultural resource protection and enhancement
- Access to and development
of recreation facilities
- Public art opportunities
- Visual quality
enhancement
HOW IS THIS PROJECT
BEING FUNDED?
This project
is part of a multiphase undertaking conducted through the efforts
of MAG, in cooperation with the Flood Control District of Maricopa
County (FCDMC). Monies for the project are being provided through
the ADOT Transportation Enhancement program. The MAG study sets
a precedent for an overall plan to be designed involving several
communities who will then have the responsibility for building
their section of the Plan. This project represents the first
time ADOT Transportation Enhancement monies have been used to
conduct a planning study. With the completion of this study,
each community will be encouraged to continue the process to
design and build each segment of the trail as funding becomes
available.
You can now download the final plan documents
in Adobe Acrobat format:
Funding
for this project is provided from the Arizona Department of Transportation
(ADOT) Transportation Enhancement Fund Program, and administered
by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG). |
|
