The Panaca Spring

The only reason Panaca exists is because of The Spring. In a land where water has to be sucked from the ground, The Spring is a rare and cherished resource. The literal lifeblood when the town was settled by white folk in 1864, (By my ancestors including Francis C. Lee and Company.) The Spring provided water (Duh!) and food, assisted by irrigation.

When I was a kid, The Spring water still flowed throughout the town, but covered ditches and piped water were already established. Before those days, my grandmother would dip from the ditch in front of her house to fill the washtubs and drinking jugs. There were trees everywhere. The water in the ditches kept the desert temperatures moderated and the consistent humidity meant fruit trees were plentiful. Covering the ditches and cutting the trees stole Panaca's beauty, dried it out, made the day and night temperature range swing wildly, and meant the roads had to be paved to cut the dust.

The Spring survives in spite of us. It flows a steady stream all the time. Should an earthquake kill the flow (as it has at Pipe Springs, AZ) Panaca would dry up and blow away. Las Vegas wants the water. It plans to run out of its current supplies in 2024. Guess where the Las Vegas Water Authority wants to shop? Might does not make right; right makes right. It would be a tragedy should the LVWA win this battle. "Let them drink wine." says I.

Rant over. Enjoy the pics...