(CV4W - http://www.cv4w.org/) by Scotch
Reposting for FuelRod...
to my fellow night runners, Scott, Vicky, Dan and brother Dave, Marty, Chris and Doug,
Thanks for your company and support in this week end run. I hope you all enjoyed it as I did and had safe travels home.
The recent flood damage is part of the charm of the desert that I love to see change from visit to visit. I should also apologize for putting us-all in harms way by entering Diablo dropoff. In hind site we had seen severe flood damage in Carrizo wash and I made a gross assumption that trail was open and passable.
Please send me your thoughts on if we should drop the Marsh piece of this in future as there may not be a Marsh for some years. What were you favorite spots and least favorite? Would you want to visit the mud caves on a winter day trip? We might find more of the 22 than than the two I know of.
If any of you have pictures please send me a copy.
respectfully,
fuelrod
thought you would enjoy these two links
first link is history
second link is future ... restoration plan to burn out tamarisk to restore original eco-system ...
little push back from local tribes if you follow the Imperial County news ...
Update for Chuck/Bob/Rob/Bruce,
In event I can not attend club meeting here is a brief report.
Once again,the marsh was dry and dusty. Stop signs remounted at edge of bombing range.
Two of the largest mud caves were visited. Both changed in appearance and little wet on bottom.
Sand Hill entrance into Diablo dropoff was badly eroded with ruts as deep and wide as vehicles. In hind site we should not have made the entry to diablo dropoff as it was it was an irreversible action; we had seen much evidence of recent flash floods and major rain maybe in last month. Going up the sand hill at this time would take real team work and long time. sand was still wet and infirm. Lot of spotting needed to stay upright coming down. New rocks, fresh dropped into Diablo wash, past second drop off moved as we used them. wonderful challenge.
Bedded down around 1:30 92 degrees light breeze. Temperature plummeted to 84 by dawn - good thing we had blankets with us!
slept towards Sandstone Canyon, worked well as we had extra time in shadows before that good morning blast of sunlight.
Sandstone was changed from our June trip by recent flash floods and mud drops onto track. There was no closed end sign. We ran up close to end where rocks created natural end to forward movement. There were no tracks past them - up to then I was following others tracks.
successful trip made with 7 vehicles, 9 people and one dog. no carnage or repairs needed.
*end of report*
from page 18 of second link:
Off-site mitigation is proposed to occur at Carrizo Marsh (Marsh) located in Anza Borrego
Desert State Park. The Marsh occupies approximately 318 acres where Carrizo Creek bisects the
Carrizo Badlands, in the southeastern portion of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The Marsh is
on the opposite side of the Coyote Mountains from the OWEF (Figure 8). Restoration of the
Marsh is considered acceptable mitigation for USFWS suitable habitat impacts because the
Marsh is delineated as USFWS Essential Habitat for PBS and restoration of the Marsh will
replace habitat currently unsuitable for PBS with high quality habitat for PBS and a variety of
other wildlife species.
The Marsh is an extensive wetland area surrounded by expanses of arid desert badlands and hills
and is also the largest, if not the only, perennial wetland in the region of the western Colorado
Desert where the proposed OWEF is located. The Marsh is overwhelmingly dominated by
tamarisk thicket, with small patches of arrow weed thicket, iodine bush scrub, and American
bulrush Marsh. Upland and desert wash scrub communities exist in the higher areas and along
the perimeter, and include mesquite bosque, alkali goldenbush scrub, and black-stem rabbitbrush
scrub. The Marsh was overtaken by exotic tamarisk species following a flood in 1976. The flood
caused major sedimentation and disturbance to the Marsh’s native vegetation.