The large wildfires these past 10 years that ravaged the watershed in and around the Salt and Verde rivers, where our water comes from, indicate one important fact that must be addressed now more than ever â our forests are unhealthy. SRP manages the water supply for much of the Valley â most of which comes from 8.3 million acres of land in northern Arizona. Snowfall and rain provide the water that travels through the watershed into SRP reservoirs, which is then delivered to homes and businesses via canals and laterals. But these beautiful forested lands that harness this precious resource have been hit by devastating wildfires and are primed for more infernos like those impacting California and Colorado. On average, the forested lands in the northern part of the state have about 100 trees per acre, but in many areas, there are thousands of trees per acre. Overcrowded forests can fuel large wildfires that are uncontrollable with catastrophic impacts.