CAP’s new Water Education Center is beginning to emerge from the desert in north Phoenix. Ground was broken in May 2025 and almost immediately, the north part of the CAP Headquarters campus was transformed into a construction site.
And now …
Walls are going up on both sides of the canal. Exhibits are being finalized. A new education program administrator has been hired. And there’s a new Water Education Center logo!
Meet Renee McBride
CAP welcomes Education Program Administrator Renee McBride!
Renee joins us from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn., where she served as the school programs manager. A former teacher with a master’s degree in elementary education, Renee spent 12 years in the classroom teaching students from kindergarten up to 10th grade. She also taught internationally in Guadalajara, Mexico and in Beaconsfield, United Kingdom.
Working on behalf of the Water Education Center, Renee will be developing programming and tours for students to learn about the history of CAP, the water cycle and how CAP reliably delivers Colorado River water to the area where 80% of Arizona’s population resides. One of her priorities will be engaging with school leaders and teachers to create field trip programming that is accessible and relevant for students.
“This is an incredible opportunity to be a part of something from the very beginning,” says Renee. “I’m eager to develop programming and tour opportunities that allow teachers and students to visit the WEC and learn about the importance of water conservation. I hope that schools from across the region can come and enjoy the incredible exhibits and learn how they can make a difference in their communities too.
Construction update
If you’ve driven into CAP Headquarters or along 7th Street, north of Deer Valley, you’ve noticed activity!
It’s an impressive construction site with noticeable progress happening daily.
A few weeks ago, crews placed an 8,400 pound, 66” valve that had been used at our Little Harquahala Pumping Plant. The valve is so large and so heavy that it needed to be put into place with the building literally being built around it. The same will be true for a pump impeller and check gate replica – one of several life-size features that will be placed later this spring and ultimately displayed in the exhibit space as a way to demonstrate the massive nature of CAP infrastructure.
Within the next few weeks, steel framing will begin, which is when things really begin moving – especially the bridge that will span the canal and connect the two buildings on either side. Look for pictures from the “topping over” milestone later this spring!
The Water Education should be complete and ready for visitors in about a year. Watch for continued updates on Know Your Water News!
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