The Tonto Basin Ranger District is located northwest of Globe and south of Payson. The district consists of approximately 530,000 acres (approximately 210,000 hectares) of Desert, Semi-Desert Grassland, Chaparral types of vegetation, as well as a few scattered areas of Ponderosa Pine. Roosevelt Lake (the largest lake totally within Arizona) and Apache Lake are within this district.

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Watershed is one of the most important reasons that the Tonto National Forest was established. Since then, the Salt and Verde rivers have had six dams constructed.  While the dammed water is of great value for irrigating fields and for domestic use, it is also very popular with thousands of people who recreate in its waters every year.

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Water recreation ranges from the simple to the sophisticated.  Some activities require highly mechanized equipment, while other popular activities only require a swimming suit. Whatever your preferences, the Tonto National Forest has plenty to offer when it comes to water recreation.

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Contact Information:

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Address: 28079 N. Az Highway 188, Roosevelt, Arizona 85545
Phone: (602) 225-5395
Fax: (928) 467-3239