By K. Nepsa
Last month we discussed a few lakes located in southern Arizona to explore and to enjoy for recreation. Here are a few more lakes in the area:
Pena Blanca Lake:
Located in the Pajarito Mountain foothills of Nogales, Arizona and along the southern end of Ruby Road, Pena Blanca Lake was created in 1957 when the Arizona Game and Fish Department constructed a dam. This is a mountain lake located at 4,000 feet elevation. The area offers a boat ramp, fishing piers, a lakeshore trail, and picnic areas. The recreation area was first opened to the public in March of 1958 and enjoyed for decades. However, in the 1990s, it was discovered that near-by mining operations leaked several thousand tons of mercury into the watershed, resulting in contaminated fish and soil. The recreation area was closed and the lake was drained and cleaned in 2008. About 200,000 cubic yards of mercury-contaminated soil were removed from the lake bottom and buried in cells in an area to the west of the lake. By September 2009, the lake was reopened and re-stocked with fish by February 2010. There are new boat ramps and docks to enjoy and may be receiving more amenities in future years. This lake is smaller and for mostly non-motorized watercraft.
Rose Canyon Lake:
Rose Canyon is just 17 miles northeast of Tucson, Arizona, off the Catalina Highway Scenic Drive near the summit of Mt. Lemmon. It is a pleasant little 6-acre lake at one end of a campground where temperatures are always cool. It is small, beautiful and ecologically fragile. Camping is first come, first serve or by reservation. The waters of Rose Canyon Lake come from rain and snowmelt. The dam that created it was built by prison crews. The lake is stocked and provides good seasonal fishing. No watercraft of any kind and swimming is not allowed.
Roper Lake:
Roper Lake State Park is located 6 miles south of Safford in Graham County in southeast Arizona. In 1974, under a management agreement with Arizona Game and Fish Commission, Arizona State Parks and Trails opened Roper Lake State Park to facilitate outdoor activities including hiking, camping, swimming, and fishing. Dankworth Pond, three miles down the road, was purchased by State Parks in 1975 and is managed as a fishing destination. Roper lake is part of the Arizona State Parks system and has several tent and RV campsites. Trees and shade are clustered along some shorelines of the lake, but are not generally plentiful. This recreational area allows non-motorized watercraft as well as swimming. There are rustic cabins available for rent that provide BBQ pits and air conditioning. There is a warm hot spring (one jacuzzi sized pool) located on site as well as a small dog park area for your furry companions. Roper Lake’s hot spring flows through a man-made structure and then out of a pipe and into a wetland containing two large, cattail encircled pools before entering the lake approximately 800 feet downstream.
Riggs Flat Lake:
Finally, Riggs Flat Lake is located on top of Mt. Graham in the Pinaleño Mountains, at an elevation of 8,600 feet above sea level. A trail leads all the way around the lake, but watercraft and swimming are not allowed. A natural spot to accumulate water, as far back as 1870, the area was used by rancher Lew Riggs to water his livestock. It was the Arizona Game and Fish Department that financed the dam in 1957, creating the lake that provides tremendous trout fishing. The area is also known for its amazing star gazing. Five miles short of Riggs Lake is the road to the University of Arizona Astrophysical site. It is not open to the public, but tours can be arranged through Eastern Arizona College at Discovery Park and through the Graham County Chamber of Commerce. There are 31 camping areas to enjoy leading to and in the vicinity of Riggs Flat Lake. One of which, called Hospital Flats, served as a site for a field hospital for ailing soldiers from Fort Grant in the 1880s. That frontier outpost is located along Grant Creek on the south slope of the Pinaleños.
Have a great and safe summer…enjoy!
K. Nepsa has a B.S. in Geology and a Master’s in GIS. She has lived in Arizona, HI, CA and Shanghai, China. Her hobbies include enjoying the outdoors via Jeep, Kayak, horse or foot. She has been a Vail resident since 2005.
