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 Forklift Masts Peoria - Peoria, Arizona is a city within the Yavapai and Maricopa counties within this U.S. state. Peoria is a main suburb of the city of Phoenix and it is located mainly in the county of Maricopa. Peoria's population was 154,065 in 2010, based on the United States Census Bureau. In terms of land area, the city of Peoria is currently the 6th biggest city in the state of Arizona.
The city of Peoria was first named after Peoria, Illinois, as the word "Peoria" is a corruption of the Illini word that means "prairie fire." The population of the city is currently larger than that of its namesake. The San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners share the Peoria Sports Complex here and this city is both teams home for spring training.
Peoria is located in the Salt River Valley on a terrain which is gently sloping, mostly flat desert. Situated to the north, the landscape gently stretches into the foothills of the mountains. The Salt River is filled with seasonal rainfall and mountain snowmelt runoff. There are times when the valley becomes flooded and numerous months of backbreaking labor is demolished. In order for the area to become habitable and productive the entire year, the flood and drought cycle had to be replaced with a reliable water supply that can be controlled year-round.
In order to solve their water concerns, the early pioneers explored irrigation. In the year 1868, a group of men organized by John W. "Jack" Swilling dug the very first modern irrigation ditch within the Salt River Valley. A lot more people were enticed to live in the region due to their success and eventually the region flourished because of the revitalized irrigation system.
There are two rivers which flow into Peoria: the New River and the Agua Fria River. The Agua Fria River is usually dry because of the New Waddell Dam, that holds back Lake Pleasant to the north of the city. The New River Dam and other flood control methods usually make the New River dry as well. There are various washes and creeks which flow through the city of Peoria. Skunk Creek is one of the most significant and best known due to its connection with the city of Glendale that is nearby and its vast trail system.
There are numerous hills and mountains within the northern end of Peoria. West Wing Mountain, Calderwood Butte, Sunrise Mountain, Twin Buttes, Hieroglyphic Mountains, Cholla Mountain, East Wing Mountain an White Peak are among the popular locations for nature lovers to hike and photograph.
The city continues to expand its borders within the Lake Pleasant Regional Park, which was annexed in the city during the year 1999. The Challenger Space Center of Arizona calls Peoria home and has made Peoria a world class educational and cultural destination.
Peoria completed constructing the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts during the year 2007. Most of Peoria's growth currently is happening within the northwestern and northern areas of the city.
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