Bartlett Reservoir is one of several large reservoirs surround the Metropolitan Phoenix area in central Arizona. The reservoirs provide a steady water supply to the United State’s 6th largest city and also provide recreational activities such as boating, water skiing and wake boarding. Arizona is, at the time this panorama was taken, experiencing a long term drought and the lake level is substantially below normal. Bartlett Reservoir is one of two on the Verde River. Most of the other much larger reservoirs are on the Salt River, north and east of the Salt River Valley, where Phoenix and the surrounding communities are located. This panorama illustrates the barren nature of the desert surrounding these unusual bodies of water. The picture is taken from a huge boat ramp and staging area. Almost all the watercraft on the lake are towed to the lake by trailers behind trucks. It is often surprising to drive the highways and see truck after truck pulling boats when there is no water in sight.