The 13-acre Tempe Town Lake
Marina provides the best access to the water at the boat launch and offers boat
trailer parking, restrooms, grassy picnic areas, a sloped amphitheater, and
rentable dry boat storage.
The
Marina is located on the north side of the lake just south of the 202
Freeway. To get there go south on College at Curry Road and follow the blue
signs.
To
make it easier to launch boats, a 5-lane boat launch ramp is available for
public use. Before launching your boat, be sure to purchase a Town Lake
boat permit. Boat trailered parking spaces allow boaters to enjoy the day on
the lake. Also available is secured dry boat storage for those who want to store
a boat at the Marina, call (480) 350-8625 for more information. At
the Marina you will also find a one-acre lagoon providing a safe harbor for lake
operations in case of flooding. The half-circle lagoon provides wet slips to
store boats that are permanently moored on Town Lake, including safety launches
for rowing programs, Fire and Police boats, and Rio Lago Cruise vessels.
The
Marina has a one-acre amphitheater area that can accommodate more than 1,000
people for special events or outdoor classes. The landscaped park area provides
grassy slopes for picnics and pedestrian sidewalks for walking or biking. Picnic
tables, soda machines, public restrooms and drinking fountains are available to
the public.
The Marina is a gathering
place for the boating community. A diverse group of boating groups such as the
Arizona Yacht Club; Arizona Sailing Foundation, ASU Sailing Group, Arizona
Dragon Boat Association, Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Club, ASU Rowing Group, and
City of Tempe Parks & Recreation Rowing have made the Marina their base. For
additional information on these groups please call the Rio Salado office at
(480) 350-8625.
Marina Art Elements
Water Muse by Laurie Lundquist
This art feature
is an interactive circulation system that improves the water quality for the
Town Lake Marina lagoon. It is designed to echo the traditions of water distribution found
throughout the Salt River Valley and to encourage a contemplative interaction
with flowing water. Visitors to the site can walk across metal
grating that spans the sluiceway to try their hand at controlling the flow of
water through the site. Hand operated wheels can be turned by children or adults
to open and close water gates that direct the flow into underground pipes.
Water traveling through the system flows through
a gauntlet of various channels, waterfalls, and weirs designed to evoke different visual and
acoustic conditions. Up to 5 cubic feet of water per second can be pumped from
the Town Lake through an underground pipe into the Muse, then back into the lake.
Water emerges from underground into a quiet source
pool located at the top of the amphitheater.
The Marina Water Muse was selected for the 2004 Public Art Network's Year
in Review. This national event highlights the most successful and innovative
public art projects nationwide.
