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Posted inEnvironment

A treasure hunt for wild springs in Arizona’s desert 

As Sarah Truebe scrambles up a dry stream-bed on Mount Lemmon, she points out a single willow tree, leaves golden with autumn’s arrival. 

Rooted in the empty stream-bed, it hints of treasure ahead — the presence of water. 

Soon enough, oaks and alders crowd the banks and grasses abound. And then, the sound. 

Water trickles from a broken pipe, forming a pool about six inches deep. Nearby a concrete square — a spring box used to collect water — marks the spot. This is sometimes called Horse Camp Spring, not far from the General Hitchcock Campground about 6,000 feet above Tucson.