Ah, Arizona! The state where all with a nautical bent hope to end up. Wait a minute, that’s Rhode Island. Or Massachusetts. Or South Carolina. Arizona? Not so much. But there is more water here than our desert climate might suggest.

Wait a minute – let’s back up. The River pictured above is called the Salt River (it’s the pale blue line that runs from Roosevelt Lake through Apache, Canyon and Saguaro Lakes. The darker line is a road, a thrilling, curvy, scary road. Why is it called the Salt River when it’s nowhere near the ocean or any other source of salt water? “H” recounted its origin story for the USC Digital Folklore Archives:

H: This is a story of the Salt River, as told by my Grandfather, a member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe. The Apaches did not call themselves Apache. The called themselves “Dene,” or “people,” [pronounced ‘din-ay’]. The term Apache comes from the Zuni for “Apachu” or “the enemy.” Well the Apaches were raiders and warriors, but over time they settled in Northern Arizona in the Mogollon Rim… and led peaceful lives hunting, fishing and living off the land. They battled the Spaniards, and then ultimately the Calvary. And the government came in and took their land, they acquiesced and lived on the reservation. And the treaty they signed so they could stay on the reservation as long as the grass grew and the rivers ran. One group of Apaches, however, refused to sign the treaties. And they lived in a basin. The Apaches called them “Tonto,” or “fools” for continuing to fight. That basin the “Tonto Basin,” is ultimately where the Salt River is. The creek that was found was named “Tonto Creek,” but ultimately became the Salt River. As the Calvary tried to capture their chief, Del Shay, they were unable to do so. They fought fiercely, they tried to shoot him, and poison him. But ultimately, the Federal Government gave a few silver dollars to one of Del Shay’s nephews, to kill him. And they went into town-camp, took his head, and brought it back to the Calvary. His wife it is said, cried for a hundred days and her tears filled the river of the Tonto Basin and turned it salty. And forevermore, the Tonto Basin river remains salty from her tears with the Calvary capturing her people and killing her husband.

The more recent history of the Salt River is equally dramatic and interesting, especially if you like dams.

This is the magnificent Theodore Roosevelt dam, completed in 1911 and dedicated by Theodore Roosevelt that same year. The dam created the 21,493 acre Roosevelt Lake, cornerstone of the Salt River Project, which supplies water to the Valley of the Sun.

Heading south below the dam you come to Apache Lake, formed by the remote Horse Mesa Dam, which was constructed between 1924 and 1927. It was built to expand the area’s hydroelectric capabilities and uses the river’s drops to generate power.

Canyon Lake, the next lake to the south and central to this post, was formed by the Mormon Flat Dam, built between 1923 and 1926. This dam includes a pumped-storage unit built in 1971. And no, I have no idea what that is.

The last lake in the string is Saguaro Lake, which is west of Canyon Lake and accessed by different roads. It was formed by the Stewart Mountain Dam, completed in 1930.

All of these dams were a result of the National Reclamation Act of 1902. Signed by Theodore Roosevelt, this historical law funded irrigation projects in 16 Western states (including Arizona) to turn arid lands into productive agriculture. It established what is now known as the Bureau of Reclamation.

The engineering and construction work needed to bring the water to the Valley is mind-boggling and could fill several books. For those of us living here, the happy result is three lakes we can access. Our tai chi group decided to do just that, and one evening a few weeks ago we boarded the good ship Dolly Steamboat to explore Canyon Lake.

The Dolly Steamboat is a 103′ double-decker ‘paddleboat’ with room for over 100 people.

Such boats have been cruising on Canyon Lake since 1925. The present Dolly dates to 1983, and has been owned and operated by the Grimh family since 1987. The captain narrates the 2 +/- hour cruise peppering his chat with history, nature facts and a bit of stand-up comedy. The lake is beautiful, especially late in the day (and perhaps early in the morning? I wouldn’t know!). Unfortunately, according to me, there is non-stop music piped all over the boat. I would have preferred a calmer ambiance, but then, I’m an old fart. It was the only downside to what was a lovely outing.

You keep thinking you’re about at the end of the lake, but then there’s a curve in the rocks, and more lake appears.

We were lucky enough to book on the only Wednesday scheduled in June. There was a large 50th wedding anniversary party on the lower deck. We and some other fortunate people had the top deck; it was not at all crowded. It’s already hot here in June, and we found the air conditioned cabin most welcome.

The topography is so dramatic – big stone cliffs tumbling right down to the water.

That’s Four Peaks in the cleft of the rocks.

We were lucky to catch glimpses of quite a few of the bighorn sheep that live around the lake. It seems impossible that they can maneuver in that landscape, but they can!

I had hoped we would see eagles; I’ve seen them there before, but they weren’t in evidence that evening.

The Dolly Steamship has various kinds of cruises. We were on the evening dinner cruise. I meant to take a photo of the meal, but I was so hungry I forgot. We had tri-tip beef, chicken, salad, rolls, and a really good cheesecake for dessert. There was also iced tea, lemonade, and a pay bar. It was all quite good, especially given that they were feeding so many of us.

Here are a couple more photos of the magnificent scenery:

That’s Weaver’s Needle poking up in the distance.

Alas, all too soon it was over, and time to get back in the car for the hair-raising drive home on the scary road mentioned at the top of this account. The sun had just set, a lovely end to an excellent adventure.