By admin 
TONTO NATIONAL FOREST, AZ (AZFamily) — Canyon Lake in the Tonto National Forest will close for months starting Tuesday for dam safety inspections and maintenance.
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The closure will last until Feb. 28, 2027, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
All boat ramps and access points for Canyon Lake will be closed to the public, but State Route 88 will remain open.
The closure was expected as the Salt River Project announced the plans last year, and the dam undergoes maintenance every 20 years.
SRP and the Bureau of Reclamation will perform inspections and maintenance on Mormon Flat Dam, Horse Mesa Dam, and the river channel downstream of Horse Mesa, leading into Canyon Lake.
Crews have to lower the water levels to access essential equipment that’s located underwater, officials said.
The drawdown project, which starts next Wednesday, is expected to last about 16 weeks, according to SRP. It’ll take about four weeks to lower the water level by about 54 feet, and eight weeks or so to complete the inspections and maintenance.
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Then, it’ll take about another four weeks to fill the lake back up to its normal level using water from upstream reservoirs.
SRP said that no water will be wasted, nor will the drawdown interfere with delivering water to its customers.
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