The Agua Fria River (Spanish for "cold water") is a long intermittent stream which flows generally south from east-northeast of Prescott in the U.S. state of Arizona. Prescott draws much of its municipal water supply from the upper Agua Fria watershed. The Agua Fria runs through the Agua Fria National Monument. The river then flows through a small canyon called "Black Canyon" into Lake Pleasant, a popular recreation area near Peoria, Arizona. (There is a large "Black Canyon" on the Colorado River along the Arizona–Nevada border.)
During rainy weather and at times when water is flowing in the intermittent Agua Fria River, it discharges into the Gila River, which also only flows during wet periods of the year.
The Central Arizona Water Conservation District of the Central Arizona Project operates the Agua Fria Recharge Project, which is about south of the New Waddell Dam. It serves to recharge underground aquifers in this area, and ends at Lake Pleasant, Phoenix.
Variant names
According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known historically as: Agua Fria Creek Agua Frie
Course
The Agua Fria River rises about 1.5 miles northeast of Granite Dells, Arizona and then flows south to join the Gila River about 1 mile south of Goodyear, Arizona.
Watershed
Agua Fria River drains of area, receives about 16.4 in/year of precipitation, has a wetness index of 415.05, and is about 11% forested.