Our History

LGRC is the continuation of historic efforts on the River.

LGRC is the continuation of historic collaborative efforts on the river that builds upon the legacy and work of many foundational partnerships. What began in the 1960s with “Rio Salado”, with “El Rio” in the 1990s, continues today as the Lower Gila River Collaborative and Rio Reimagined. The Collaborative complements this regional vision, ensuring place-based planning, continued learning that informs decision-making, and improved effectiveness of projects on the ground.  

Rio Salado
Beginning in the 1960s, the Rio Salado was the first in a more recent series of collaborative efforts to protect the river. The Rio Salado is a popular location for hikers hoping to spot one of the hundreds of species of birds that use the area as a seasonal migratory path. Once a dump site, the area is now a lush riparian corridor with five miles of paved and dirt trails. Bird watchers have spotted more than 200 species of birds in Rio Salado's varied habitats from wetland ponds to mesquite bosque to cottonwood/willow forest. The Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area aims to restore the native wetland and riparian habitats of the historic Salt River, which once flowed year-round through Metro Phoenix and projects continue to this day.

El Rio
In 1999, Avondale, Buckeye, Goodyear, and Maricopa County created the El Rio Vision to address flood risk, incorporate multi-use opportunities, and restore and maintain riparian habitat through public-private partnerships. “El Rio” is a 17.5-mile reach of the Gila River that passes through Avondale, Goodyear, and Buckeye. These partners produced several plans to implement the El Rio Vision, including:

• El Rio Watercourse Master Plan (2006): Due to future development and risk of flooding, the Flood Control District of Maricopa County, the City Avondale, City of Goodyear and the Town of Buckeye created the El Rio Watercourse Master Plan to maintain and enhance the natural functions of the Gila River through flood control management strategies. 

• El Rio Design Guidelines (2015): The El Rio Design Guidelines were developed to supplement development regulations, providing support to interested stakeholders on areas such as open spaces, paths, trails, and edge treatments, transitional planting guidelines, signage and pilot projects. 

• Vegetation Management Plan (2016): In 2016 Stillwater Science and the Flood Control District of Maricopa County created the El Rio Vegetation Management Plan. This vegetation plan provides the current ecohydrological conditions of the area, as well as technical guidance on the vegetation management activities that will be implemented at specific locations.

The LGRC extends beyond the El Rio reach, and is unique in convening broader partners to achieve ecological benefits that also meet the needs of communities and citizens. LGRC prioritizes enhancement and restoration of wildlife habitats, leveraging collaboration to improve outcomes and efficiency.

Tres Rios
The Tres Rios Environmental Restoration project involves the rehabilitation of nearly 700 acres in and around the Salt River, restoring a vital wetland and riparian habitat. The project connects the renewed wetlands and the nearby wastewater treatment plant to bringing the Salt River back to the condition it was in during the early 1800s. Today the area is owned and managed by several Collaborative partners, including: Arizona Game and Fish Department, Flood Control District of Maricopa County, Maricopa County Parks and Recreation, and the City of Phoenix. Tres Rios is a part of Audubon’s Lower Salt and Gila Riparian Ecosystem Important Bird Area, spanning much of the LGRC geography.

Rio Reimagined
After a decade of implementing pilot projects, conducting foundational studies, and documenting vegetation management guidance, the El Rio partnership transformed into a more diverse group of entities invested in the lower Gila River known as LGRC. LGRC is unique in convening broader partners to achieve ecological benefits that also meet the needs of communities and residents. 

In 2018, regional leaders launched Rio Reimagined (RIO), a vision for thriving river communities spanning 58 miles of the Gila and Salt Rivers. LGRC is the primary forum for the West Valley partners to collaborate on place-based strategic planning and peer-to-peer learning that informs decision-making and improves effectiveness of projects on the ground. 

RIO is focused on enhancing the public and political attention on the region’s river systems, particularly around issues of economic development, vibrant communities, and river-based recreation and tourism. With Arizona State University as the convener and facilitator, the multi-decade RIO initiative has made significant progress in developing a robust, diverse partnership of public, non-profit, industry, and community stakeholders along the river corridor. It has also received designation as an Urban Waters Federal Partnership location, which connects the initiative to a federal and national non-profit support network.