Living quarters at Montezuma Well. Set in the cliff side surrounding the lake of fresh potable water, hence the name
Montezuma Well (Yavapai: ʼHakthkyayva or Ahagaskiaywa), a detached unit of Montezuma Castle National Monument,[1] is a natural limestone sinkhole near the town of Rimrock, Arizona through which some 1,500,000 US gallons (5,700,000 L; 1,200,000 imp gal) of water emerge each day from an underground spring. It is located about 11 miles (18 km) northeast of Montezuma Castle. The Well measures 386 feet (118 m) in diameter from rim to rim and contains a near-constant volume of spring water even in times of severe drought, amounting to approximately 15,000,000 US gallons (57,000,000 L; 12,000,000 imp gal). The water is highly carbonated and contains high levels of arsenic. At least five endemic species are found exclusively in Montezuma Well: a diatom, a springtail, a water scorpion, an amphipod, and a leech — the most endemic species in any spring in the southwestern United States. It is also home to the Montezuma Well springsnail. Montezuma Well's steady outflow has been used for irrigation since the 8th century. Part of a prehistoric canal is preserved near the park's picnic ground, and portions of the canal's original route are still in use today. As with Montezuma Castle, the label "Montezuma" is a misnomer: the Aztec emperor Montezuma had no connection to the site or the early indigenous peoples that occupied the area.
Size: 4480px × 2987px
Location: Montazuma's Well, Rimrock, AZ, USA
Photo credit: © Vincent Palermo / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: arizona, castle, cliff, culture, dwellings, hohokam, limestone, montezuma, monument, national, people, rimrock, sedona, sinagua, sinkhole, style, valley, verde, yavapai, yavapi
