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FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING A SPORT FISHERY IN THE SALT RIVER PROJECT CANALS irrigation and municipal use (Salt River Proj. 1993, 1994a). The SRP canal system begins below Granite Reef Diversion Dam and has 8 major canals: Arizona, Consolidated, Eastern, Grand, South, Tempe, Western, and Cross-Cut. Granite Reef Dam (Fig. 2) diverts water into the SRP canals, and is located about 6.5 km downstream of the confluence of the Salt and Verde rivers. The watersheds of the Salt and Verde rivers drain approximately 33,680 km' to the east and north, respectively, of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Four reservoirs (Saguaro, Canyon, Apache, and Roosevelt) are located within the Salt River watershed and 2 (Bartlett and Horseshoe) within the Verde River watershed. Annually, these watersheds receive an average of 53.3 cm of precipitation (Salt River Pro). 1990). A raised, trapezoidal, concrete fish barrier is located immediately below Granite Reef Dam on the Arizona Canal (Fig. 3; Appendix A, Map 1). This barrier has a series of electrical fields across the canal, steep slopes, and high water velocities that permit downstream movement of fish. The primary purpose of this barrier is to prevent fish from moving from the Arizona Canal and the CAP into the Salt River through the Granite Reef headgates (E. Swanson, Ariz. Game and Fish Dep., pers. commun.). Another electrical fish barrier was constructed on the South Canal for similar reasons (Appendix A, Map 1). The Arizona Canal (Fig. 4) was selected for intensive study because it is the longest continuous canal (61.4 km) in the SRP system and traverses an extensive residential area. From its source at Granite Reef Dam, this canal flows west through the Salt River Indian Reservation and the cities of Scottsdale, Phoenix, Glendale, and Peoria, where it drains into Skunk Creek. We established 5 fish collection sites and 3 alternate collection sites along the Arizona Canal (Table 1). Sites were established at locations where SRP maintenance (concrete) ramps had been constructed. Physical barriers (i.e., bridges and water control structures; Fig. 5a, b) formed the boundaries of each collection site. Alternate sites were established specifically to monitor r4 YG - Figure 2. The origin of the Arizona Canal at Granite Reef Diversion Dam. The electric fish barrier is shown in the foreground. B. R. WRIGHT AND I A. SORENSEN 1995 ARIZONA GAME & FISH DEPARTMENT, TECH. REP. 18 5