Much of the sparkley blue stuff that runs through Scottsdale is going away for about a month.
The Salt River Project is drying up the canal between 68th Street and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community — a stretch of about eight miles — from Jan. 8 to Feb. 7 for maintenance.
The work will consist of:
• Replacing an underground pipeline.
• Completing routine maintenance – such as clearing dirt and weeds from the canal.
• Repairing sections of the canal damaged by flooding from substantial storms late in 2025.
Additionally, the walk and bike path along both sides of the canal between McDonald Road and Chaparral Road will be closed during the same time period to repair a water pipeline beneath the canal that transports untreated groundwater to the North Indian Bend Wash granular activated carbon treatment facility.
“Water deliveries to Valley residents will not be impacted,” a press release from SRP said, though it added that some customers in the north who use water for irrigation will be cut off during the dry up.
The White Amur Fish, sometimes called Grass Carp, in the canal that are in there to keep it clean of weeds will be rounded up and relocated during the dry up.
SRP drys up various sections of the canal every year, generally in the winter when the water demand is the lowest, for routine maintenance but the last time it did it in Scottsdale was 2018 and before that was in 2010.
In fact, it was the 2010 dry up that sparked the celebration that would later become known as Canal Convergence.
“The canal didn’t look great when it was dried up so the idea of bringing in some art was a way to make it a little nicer looking,” said Scottsdale Arts spokesman Brian Passey.
The activation at the Waterfront was then expanded in 2013 into what is known today as the Canal Convergence. It was held two times a year back then as a four-day event in November and March.
And as the event grew in popularity — hosting more than 70 art workshops in 2025 — it was converted into the beloved, 10-day event in November it is now.
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J. Graber
News Editor | Scottsdale
Meet J.
Graber joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in February 2023, starting his career as a staff writer covering the City of Scottsdale and was named news editor of the Scottsdale Independent in 2024.
Community: He serves on the alter guild as well as being an usher at St. Mathews Episcopal Church in Chandler.
Education: He earned his BA in creative writing with a minor in journalism from the University of Arizona. He then earned an MS in Mass Communications from the University of Oregon.
Random Fact: He enjoys reading novels by Russian authors.
Hobbies: Playing classical guitar, reading, fishing, going to the gym, watching sports and spending time with his family.