EYDER PERALTA, HOST:
Through the concrete sprawl of Phoenix, there's the Salt River. It was dammed up more than a century ago, but in some small sections, it's teeming with life. Alex Hager of member station KJZZ takes us there.
ALEX HAGER, BYLINE: On this sidewalk in south Phoenix, you can hear all the sounds of the city.
(SOUNDBITE OF CAR PASSING BY)
HAGER: Cars are rushing by, and a new section of the light rail is not shy about its arrival.
(SOUNDBITE OF RAILROAD CROSSING BELL RINGING)
AUTOMATED VOICE: Train coming. Train coming.
HAGER: Standing here, the downtown skyline is in full view. Its buildings are just about five minutes up the road. But take a look down from this bridge, and you'll see something completely different.
(SOUNDBITE OF BIRDS CHIRPING)
HAGER: Underneath is a section of river that's been restored, turning back into the kind of lush green landscape that makes a perfect home for birds, bugs and fish.
HALEY PAUL: You can build a city all around a river, but in the end, you got to give the river a little space.
HAGER: That's Haley Paul, a water expert with the National Audubon Society. She's one of my guides today here at the Rio Salado Audubon Center. Thirty years ago, this place was a dump - literally. It's the site of a former landfill. Now it's something completely different.
PAUL: I guess it's truly an oasis in the desert, and yes, it takes a lot of work to do this. But when you just add water, it is amazing what can come back.
HAGER: The city of Phoenix channels some water from its storm drains to this place, and the result is a messy, muddy haven. You can walk through squishy soil and feel the cool, damp air.
(SOUNDBITE OF FOOTSTEPS IN MUD SQUISHING)
HAGER: Dragonflies are buzzing from flower to flower. Bullfrogs bellow in a thick patch of bushes taller than your head, and sometimes fish will flicker near the surface. But most of all, this place is a haven for flying visitors. Anthony Canganelli works at this nature center and loves birds.
ANTHONY CANGANELLI: That's a black-headed grosbeak down there. Yeah, just flew over there.
HAGER: He's got a pair of binoculars strapped around his neck and says this relatively small section of restored river has played host to more than 200 different species of birds. Tricia Balluff with the city of Phoenix says this green section helps wildlife and people build a connection with the river that put Phoenix on the map.
TRICIA BALLUFF: These restoration projects go a long way towards helping us to reidentify with our river and reembrace our river.
HAGER: And in the peaceful shade of a palo verde tree, it feels a million miles away from the city. For NPR News, I'm Alex Hager in Phoenix.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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