The Quality Water is a tailwater below the Navajo Dam on the San Juan River. It is known for excellent catch and release trout fishing and is open all year. When I took this picture on a May morning years ago, I was surprised that my husband and I were the first anglers on this popular reach. We had a good morning of fishing on this sunny day. A little about the geography: This part of the river flows through high altitude sandstone mesas, and visitors are always surprised when first glimpsing the lush landscape in a very arid land. The mesa in the background is the San Jose Formation, which is from the Eocene. The trees are Freemont Cottonwoods. I began my original washes with W-N raw umber and Schminke finest ultramarine, for a smooth texture on the water and a bold blue sky. The junipers were painted with Desert Green and much of the grasses are rendered with Shire Green. The paper is Daler-Rowney Langton cold press, which holds water evenly for consistent washes.
Correction: Fremont Cottonwoods. Autocorrect problem.