The Quake That Drained the Desert

by Mary Elizabeth Reynolds

On May 3, 1887, an earthquake struck near the U.S.-Mexico border. Forty-three people died in Bavispe, Mexico; sixty miles north in Arizona, buildings swayed and a few collapsed, but no one was killed. Today, every person in southern Arizona lives with the underground aftermath of this a drained aquifer.The estimated 7.4 magnitude earthquake created a sixty-two-mile rupture, the longest known surface rupture by a normal fault. The Quake That Drained the Desert tells the story of the men who investigated the a doctor and photographer from Tombstone and an engineer from Mexico. Reynolds retells the terror of the survivors while exploring the ways the earthquake continues to shape water use and legacies in the greater Southwest.In this rigorous and gripping narrative, Reynolds unearths the aftermath of the quake, showing how it dramatically altered aquifers in southern Arizona and changed rivers that ensured the prosperity of two Mormon communities in southern Arizona and Mexico. With an eye to the present, this book asks us to consider how this underexamined quake marked the beginning of the water crisis in the region today, compacted by a century of groundwater pumping for agriculture, mining, and urban uses. As local governments and nonprofit organizations on both sides of the border now work to restore streams for wildlife habitat and flood control, they also hope to preserve water supplies for future generations.

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2026

About the author

Black cats along with centuries of American and Southern history color Mary Elizabeth's suspense novels. They're spiced with the mystical and paranormal tales of our origins in old Europe set against a Charleston,SC backdrop.

Mary Elizabeth resides on the outskirts of Charleston with a trio of demented cats and a Pomeranian posse that control her life. As a native southerner and trained historian, Ms. Reynolds emboldens the Gothic novel with authentic historical fact.

Reviews

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An utterly amazing non-fiction book about the 1887 Sonoran Earthquake that transformed a huge swath of land from Bavispe, Mexico to Tuicson, AZ as well as causing a major transformation of the flow of water throughout most of this area. The earthquake registered 7.4 on the Richter Scale and shook Bavispe for almost 3 1/2 minutes. It changed rock formations, destroyed homes and buildings, caused "earth waves", drained wells, river and streams, caused geysers/fountains to erupt from the earth and began the total transformation of over 400 miles of terrain. This is a fascinating historical look at the borderlands of Arizona and Mexico, and a caiutionary tale of how overuse and mismanagement of riparian water has created a devastating drought in the Southwest. One single fact: Prior to the earthquake people in Tucson had to dig down about 10 feet to strike water for their wells. Today over 600 feet!! Just a great historical wakeup call for all of us!!!
Superb job by author, Mary Elizabeth Reynolds!!!