Rivers of Dreams: Songs and Stories of Arizona’s Waterways

The Colorado, the Gila, the Salt, the Verde, the Hassayampa, the Santa Cruz: Arizona’s rivers were lush green ribbons of life flowing through a desert landscape.

The rivers became sustaining paths for indigenous traders and immigrants leaving wagon tracks and settlements. The Hohokam built vast canals from the Salt to direct irrigation water for crops. European farmers used these same trenches. The Mohave spread line villages along the Colorado—our great western Nile that is now in peril. The Gila provided sustenance for the Pima and passage for such adventurers as Father Garces and Olive Oatman. As Arizona’s only “National Wild and Scenic River,” the Verde is home to over 50 endangered species. Dr. Jay Craváth weaves narrative, history, music, and images to share the stories of these vital resources.

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