How was Tempe Town Lake filled and how is it kept full?
Tempe began filling the 220 surface-acre lake on June 2, 1999, and declared it officially full on July 14, 1999. The City purchased water for the initial fill from the Central Arizona Project, which delivers water statewide from the surplus in the Colorado River. This water was delivered through the Salt River Project canal system. Using technology, the City of Tempe has minimized the amount of water lost to seepage. A flood levee forms an impenetrable wall around the sides of the lake. This levee was covered with a structural and aesthetically attractive lake edge. Underground, a clay wall connects to bedrock underground at the west end. On the east end, a seepage recovery system recovers almost 100 percent of the water that seeps into the ground. Water is recaptured by 10 wells around the eastern portion of the lake and pumped back into the lake. Eight bladders form two inflatable dams that contain the water on the east and west ends of the lake and can be deflated or inflated in 45
