Our fourth stop on the places of interest in the Verde Valley of Arizona is the picnic area of the Montezuma Well Monument. This picnic is a nice respite in the middle of the day when temperatures are soaring near the 100 degree mark. The irrigation ditch which begins at the well outlet continues down the hill and completely surrounds this picnic area. There is lush grass that is maintained through the use of irrigation gates located on the irrigation ditch. Park visitors my also take their shoes off here and put their feet in the water. The irrigation ditch continues onto the properties of farmers that are located near the Well property. Those farmers have irrigation rights to the Well. Near the picnic area is a remnant of the original irrigation ditch that is approximately 300 years old. Interestingly it is only three to four feet deep for such a long time in use. The reason for this is that the water had such a high limestone content that it came out of solution to create a cement if you will hence creating its own trough. This area is also maintained by the National Park Service.
No comments:
Post a Comment