When the ancestral people of the Sonoran Desert lived here hundreds of years ago, there was more surface water available to help them survive than what we have today. Most of the major rivers in Arizona ran all year round. The fish in these rivers provided food, and along the river beds were riparian areas where many useful water-loving plants like reeds, grasses, and cottonwood trees grew.
In Casa Grande Ruins, Arizona: A Centennial History of the First Prehistoric Reserve 1892 - 1992, A. Berle Clemensen wrote:
Last updated: May 19, 2019