Southwest River Environments. In the arid Southwest, water means life, and prehistorically, rivers were the lifelines of the people. The Salt River begins in the valley between the Mogollon Rim and the Natanes Plateau in eastern Arizona and then flows through the Salt River Canyon and Tonto National Forest, before joining the Gila River in the Phoenix Valley. Prehistorically, the Salt River was home to the Hohokam, who constructed elaborate canal networks that allowed them life in the desert. Today, the Salt River remains home to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Community, the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, the San Carlos Apache, and the White Mountain Apache Tribe. In the Salt River Valley, the ancient canals of the Hohokam, now modernized, continue to provide much needed water to the residents of Phoenix and surrounding cities.
Salt River|Gila River Salt River|Gila Gila River Salt River
Salt River|Gila River Salt River|Gila Gila River Salt River