Chronicling the West’s hidden springs before they’re gone

Desert springs are remote pools of water, an unexpected and unlikely sight in a landscape defined by dryness. For millennia, they sustained life across the western United States, guiding migration and shaping where people settled. They are living archives, holding both human and natural history in the same small patch of ground, rare lifelines that sustain biodiversity, cultural history and hydrological systems far out of proportion to their size. Their depletion is often gradual, easy to miss without some memory of what these places once were. Dyke Hot Springs, Black Rock Desert, Nevada. Archaeological evidence of Indigenous peoples’ use of hot springs goes back 10,000 years. These modern tubs are for cooling the extremely hot water enough for a pleasant soak. Alamo Spring, Sonoran Desert, Mexico. A rare freshwater spring emerges from the desert, creating small islands at the edge of the saltwater ocean. Tappen Springs, Colorado Plateau, Arizona.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.