Agua Fria National Monument
Agua Fria National Monument is a protected area of the type of a National Monument in the U.S. state of Arizona. It preserves with two mesas and the canyon of the Agua Fria between incised Rivers an archaeologically important area of settlement of prehistoric Native American peoples of the Anasazi or Sinagua culture, working on over 450 buildings identified residues.
The National Monument was established in early 2000 by U.S. President Bill Clinton and is from the Bureau of Land Management, an agency under the auspices of the U.S. Department of the Interior, manages. The name of the river and of the conservation area is derived from the Spanish word meaning " cold water ".
Description
The National Monument is located in Yavapai County in central Arizona. The western boundary of the protected area is located off Interstate Highway I- 17th North of the small town of Cordes Lakes and the experimental town Arcosanti Paolo Soleri from is from the year 1970. To the east of the Tonto National Forest joins a National Forest under the management of the U.S. Forest Service. To the south lies the Black Canyon City.
The area is characterized by the two mesas Perry Mesa and Black Mesa and the intervening running from north to south of the Agua Fria River Canyon. The altitudes of the protected area range from 650 m to 1400 m on the river in the northern hills. The climate is semi-arid, the largely flat plateau above the canyon is covered with the plant communities of semi-desert. The most striking of the saguaro cactus. Riverside is a gallery forest, which is dominated by plane trees, poplars and willows.
The wildlife of the monument includes pronghorn, mule deer, white-tailed deer and collared peccary and cougars. In addition, small mammals, a variety of birds, notably birds of prey. The river still contains the original fish fauna and a number of amphibian species. Among the reptiles, the Gila monster is striking. From the adjacent forest elk and black bears come sporadically in the reserve.
Approximately between the years 1250 and 1450, the peak of the colonization of the present monument was by prehistoric Native American peoples. Several thousand people lived in the canyon and side canyons. They built on fields by the river corn, squash and beans, hunted and gathered acorns, which they ground into flour. Because the reason was needed at the bottom of the canyon for agriculture, they built their houses from Adobe mud bricks and boulders on the slopes. Over 450 settlement sites have been found so far in the reserve, the largest with over a 100 rooms and were inhabited by several hundred people. The Anasazi culture collapsed in 1450, as a cause shall a prolonged drought by climate change or a systematic use of soil.
In the 19th century, several iron ore mines in the area were created, they were not long productive and were mostly shut down after a few years or a few decades. Ranchers took advantage of the area from the protected status and still grazing.
Agua Fria National Monument today
Like almost all in the last few years the newly established National Monuments Agua Fria is also still under construction. There is no visitor center, no campsites, built roads, or even drinking water sources. Visitors can use the area for hiking, nature study excursions and nature photography. Also, hunting is permitted under the statutory provisions. Anyone may freely camp in the area, but only the existing gravel roads must be traveled. Away from the traffic is trekking the only permissible locomotion.
The city is only about 50 km south of the conservation area lying Phoenix is the fastest growing city in the United States, the development pressure on greenfield land, the continuing even after the protected status grazing large areas by cattle herds private ranchers, since the expulsion higher than reserve recreational use and illegal excavations at archaeological sites pollute the area and its conservation objectives.