A Smithsonian exhibit making its way around the state aims to help people understand water's environmental and cultural importance in Arizona and elsewhere.

Water/Ways, a project by the Smithsonian Museum on Main Street, is visiting 12 rural communities in Arizona from now until March 2020. Its first stop is at the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum, where it'll be until July 15. Future stops include Miami, Sierra Vista, Page and Lake Havasu City.

Each stop on the Water/Ways tour has a "complex and unique" water story, organizers said in a news release. In Bisbee, for example, copper smelters depleted the groundwater supply, causing wells to go dry. And Lake Havasu City is best known for its historic London Bridge, but Lake Havasu itself supplies billions of gallons of water per day to Arizona and California destinations.

All Water/Ways programs and events are free and open to the public, organizers said, and all ages are welcome. The project is supported by Arizona Humanities and Arizona State University.

For a complete list of Water/Ways events, visit the project's website.