Agua Fria National Monument is in central Arizona , in the southwestern United States. The monument contains numerous archaeological sites and preserves an area of great ecological and geological diversity. Agua fria is Spanish for cold water.
Much of the Monument consists of semi-desert grassland-capped mesas (flat, elevated lands) with steep canyons cut by the Agua Fria River and its tributaries. Cottonwood and willows grow along the water’s edge, creating important riparian (riverbank) habitat.
About 1,000 years ago, indigenous people in what is now central Arizona began moving from lowland settlements to higher elevations. Within the monument’s boundaries, archaeologists have identified numerous sites associated with people who lived in the area between 1100 and 1500. One well-known site is Pueblo La Plata (Silver Village), the remains of an apartmentlike building with about 80 to 100 rooms. Other sites feature petroglyphs (carved rock writings) and the remains of terraced gardens and hilltop lookout posts.
The monument also has a long history of agricultural practices. Its earliest inhabitants cultivated indigenous plants. Basque shepherds, whose descendants still graze sheep, arrived in the late 1800’s. Ranchers came in the early 1900’s and continue to graze cattle on monument lands today.
Wildlife in the area, some of which are endangered, include important game species such as antelope, bobcat, coyote, and mule deer, and a variety of birds, mammals and reptiles. Because of the diversity of bird species, the Audubon Society recognizes the monument’s riparian corridors as an Important Bird Area.
Visitors to the monument may enjoy hiking, hunting, sightseeing, and camping. President Bill Clinton created the Agua Fria National Monument by proclamation in January 2000. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management manages the monument.
