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Environment
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Rio Salado project is located in a very unique environment. It is an urban
park located adjacent to what was once a riparian environment within the Sonoran Desert.
By bringing water back to the Salt River, the Rio Salado project provides opportunities to
bring back some of the life that once thrived in the area.
 Revegitation with
native plants is critical to the sustainable success of this project. The fewer
non-native, exotic plants used, the less impacts to downstream areas are incurred.
However, the surrounding urban environment is full of influences on the flora and fauna.
Seeds are spread from landscaped areas by birds, animals and wind, causing non-native
plants to invade habitat areas.
Additionally, many environmental challenges exist when building an urban park.
Civilization depends on infrastructure that affects the park. Items such as overhead power
lines, underground sewer, water and gas lines, land fills, transportation corridors and
communication lines all bisect the park. The Rio Salado project represents a careful
balance between the needs of an urban community and the conditions of a natural
environment.
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