Sahuarita

History

Sahuarita was founded in 1911 and incorporated in 1994. The first known human inhabitants of the Sahuarita region were the Hohokam people, which may be the ancestors of the modern day Tohono O'odham nation. The Hohokam were known for their highly innovative and extensive use of irrigation. The Hohokam were very peaceful people, they had extensive trade routes extending to Mesoamerica, and showed many cultural influences from their southern neighbors. The Sobaipuri were possibly related to the Hohokam, and occupied the Southern portion of the Santa Cruz, with the Pima to their North and South. While Coronado passed just east of Sahuarita in 1521, it was not until Eusebio Kino's 1691 journey along the Santa Cruz River that he met the leaders of the Sobaipuri people. Kino was a true champion of the indigenous Indians, opposing forced labor in mines by Spanish overseers. Kino would later go on to found the Mission San Xavier del Bac in 1699, just north of Sahuarita. In 1775, Francisco Garcés would follow the same path, laying the groundwork for the founding of Tucson. The earliest known reference to the town can be found on a German map from 1875, which labels the town "Sahuarito". The first known US map to list the town came in 1879, by the US Department of Interior, calling the town "Saurita". The Saurita town name would continue to be found on successive maps of 1880 and 1890. Finally, a 1925 map of "Auto Trails" (e.g. roadways) of Arizona and New Mexico lists "Continental" instead of Sahuarita. The roadway at the time was an "improved road", one step inferior to a "paved road", laying the route to what today is called the Old Nogales Highway. In 1879 Sahuarita Ranch was created by James Kilroy Brown. Brown chose the name Sahuarita due to the preponderance of…

Geography

Sahuarita is located at (31.929245, -110.982241). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land. Since the most recent census was taken in 2000, the town has annexed more land; its area is now approximately . Late 19th century and early 20th century still contained beaver in the river from Tucson, southwards. Madera Canyon, located just southeast of the town, is another important landmark, day trip site, and a birdwatching point. In the desert southwest, water sustainability is a major concern. According to a 2007 report by Pima County, of water was pumped from the aquifer in the Upper Santa Cruz Valley in 2006 [in the report referred to as the Green Valley area, which includes Sahuarita], with 85 percent of that water being used for mining and agriculture. The remaining 15 percent was split between water used for golf courses and residential/commercial water use. The report explains that "The Green Valley area does not have a sustainable water supply given current groundwater pumping rates... the water table in Green Valley has been declining in past years, and is expected to decline even faster as water demands [continue to increase]...". The report concludes that "Water supplies will become critical within the next ten years." The Upper Santa Cruz Valley has several "major water users", all pumping water out of the same aquifer. None of these are owned by Pima County, the town of Sahuarita, nor Green Valley. The major water users are all private companies: ASARCO-Mission Mine, Phelps Dodge Sierrita Mine; Farmers Water Company; Sahuarita Water Company, Las Quintas Serenas Water Company, Quail Creek Water Company, Community Water Company of Green Valley, and the Green Valley Water District. The proliferation of water…

Largest nearby schools

• Anza Trail
  Elementary · Sahuarita · 1,223 students · 18:1 ratio
• Sahuarita High School
  High · SAHUARITA · 1,146 students · 17.9:1 ratio
• Walden Grove High School
  High · Sahuarita · 1,139 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Wrightson Ridge K-8 School
  Elementary · Sahuarita · 795 students · 14.7:1 ratio
• Continental Elementary School
  Elementary · GREEN VALLEY · 639 students · 17.3:1 ratio
• Copper View Elementary School
  Elementary · Sahuarita · 616 students · 22.8:1 ratio
• Sahuarita Middle School
  Middle · SAHUARITA · 579 students · 19.3:1 ratio
• Summit View Elementary
  Elementary · Tucson · 404 students · 19.2:1 ratio