Last updated: February 7, 2021
Place
Essential for Life Wayside
NPS Photo/B Smith
Quick Facts
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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
Essential for Life
Water is vital for all living things. Despite its dry appearance, the Tonto Basin has many sources of water, including perennial springs and rivers. The Salado collected water from nearby sources and carried it to the community in pots, called ollas, for drinking, cooking, cliff dwelling construction, and pottery making. Salado farmers also constructed irrigation canals along the Salt River to bring this valuable resource to their crops.
(Image of illustrated diagram depicting evapotranspiration. Image shows evaporation, precipitation, surface runoff, and ground water percolation)
(Illustration depicting stream with Arizona Black Walnut and Arizona Sycamore trees adjacent.)
A nearby natural spring provided enough moisture for plants to grow, such as the Arizona sycamore and the Arizona walnut. The Salado used these trees in the roof architecture of the cliff dwellings.
Where does your water come from?
Emil Haury
(Image of Emil Haury in a trench.)
Emil Haury was considered to be the leading authority on the Hohokam and Salado cultures; known for their construction of irrigation canals. Before he became a professor of archaeology at the University of Arizona, Haury worked at the Gila Pueblo Archaeological Foundation in Globe, AZ, where he was actively involved in site excavations throughout Arizona, including in the Tonto Basin. He is one of the most distinguished archaeologists of the twentieth century.