The lake is deep with life

These photos of Canyon Lake show the depth of the life found there. These are photos I took over the years.

From bighorn sheep


to a blue heron



To cactus and shrubs



And humans driving over the one-way bridge that leads to the only boat ramp.

Bighorn sheep at the lake

Canyon Lake is a reservoir, one of four lakes created by the damming of the Salt River in central Arizona. The four lakes are Saguaro, Canyon, Apache and Roosevelt - which makes an easy acronym "SCAR". Canyon Lake has dams at both ends - it is downstream from Apache Lake but above Saguaro Lake.

In 1925, Mormon Flat Dam was finished, creating Canyon Lake. We enjoy boating at Canyon, skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, and just enjoying the unique scenery.


A few weeks ago we shared a day at the lake with some friends. SADLY, I left my camera at home, but Brent had his. We watched for bighorn sheep along the cliffs, as they often come down to the water for a big drink. Brent shot some good photos of the herd. Bighorn sheep blend in perfectly with their surroundings, as they need to quickly seek cover from their predators (coyotes, hawks, eagles). The horns on a ram can easily weigh 30 pounds apiece... The young sheep are called lambs.

These two photos of courtesy of Brent and Hilary.


During the winter of 2007, Canyon Lake was drained to allow for dam repairs. The bottom of the lake was so full of trash! Car parts, an old magazine sales rack, bottles and cans. I wondered if any bodies were found. Do you think Jimmy Hoffa could have ended up here?