By Jessica Boehm | Arizona Republic
About a month after he was diagnosed with a deadly form of brain cancer, Sen. John McCain shared with a group of Arizona State University students an ambitious plan to restore the dry Salt River bed that crisscrosses the Valley.
A century ago, dams dried up the portion of the river that cut across the Phoenix area, leaving a jagged scar in its place.
McCain wanted to bring life back to the riverbed with a project that could rival or even surpass the famous San Antonio Riverwalk and could be one of the most significant environmental and economic additions in Phoenix history.
It was one of McCain’s final initiatives — one that he knew wouldn’t be accomplished before his death, but one he hoped would leave a lasting legacy on his adopted home state of Arizona.
