This is a late morning picture of Saguaro Lake, in the McDowell Mountains east of Phoenix. This area is part of the Sonoran Desert and you can see the signature Saguaro cacti along the ridge in the foreground. The lake is is the fourth reservoir on the Salt River, formed by the Stewart Mountain Dam. The dammed end of the lake is at an elevation of 1,506 feet (459 m). This lake is part of the Tonto National forest, as such the facilities located here are managed by that authority. It’s not a large lake but very popular with boaters, judging by the many boats moored at the marina.
I’ve included one additional shot of the lake, this one taken with a telephoto lens to get a closer view of the ridge.
Lakes are not commonplace in the deserts of the southwest and invariably they are man-made, damming the principal rivers that run through the area.