April 8, 2010 Montezuma Well

Today’s adventure took us to Montezuma Wells.  Here is information on the National Monument and a link for more info on the Story of the Sinagua.

Montezuma Well is a natural sinkhole 368 feet wide, with cliffs that tower 70 feet above the water’s surface. Every day over 1.5 million gallons of warm (74°F) water flows into the Well, fed by three to four large underwater vents, some as deep as 56 feet below the surface. The water exits the well through a cave 300 feet long, emerging on the southeast corner of the mound into an irrigation ditch originally constructed almost 1,000 years ago by the people of the Sinagua (see-NAH-wah) culture who lived and farmed here for centuries.

The story of Montezuma Well begins 12 million years ago, when the large and shallow Lake Verde covered an area 27 miles long and 15 miles wide. About 2 million years ago, Lake Verde broke through the sediment dam at its southern end enabling the water to flow out of the valley. The lazy Verde River is all that remains of this gigantic lake. Over millions of years, underground streams dissolved away the soft limestone formed by sedimentation from Lake Verde, producing caverns below the surface of the Verde Valley. 11,000 years ago one of these caverns collapsed into a sunken pool, creating what we now call Montezuma Well. Ever since its formation, the constant supply of warm water flowing into the Well has provided a refuge for the wildlife and people struggling to survive in a harsh climate. This unique and isolated ecosystem enabled amphipods (small, shrimp-like animals), and the leeches which feed on them, to evolve into species found nowhere else. Even today, the Well offers an oasis for park visitors and wildlife.

And the link:

Montezuma Well Information

 

Can you imagine – a million and a half gallons PER DAY!!!

Here is the well:

 

   

Here is the exit from the Well:

And this is where it comes out into the irrigation ditch.  We couldn’t get closer because they had it diverted into the river to do some work on the ditch:

The irrigation ditch that is still in use today:

This part of the ditch is no longer used:

We found out from the ranger that this canal went several miles.  And this was dug over 1000 years ago!!  (Heck, they have to replace our sewer pipes every 20 years…LOL)

The cliff houses:

Another amazing day!!!