Drought Effects

GTG_AZH · Post by **GTG_AZH** » May 29 2002 11:41 pm

We can blatantly see the effect of our current drought on our favorite hobby. If you take a closer look around you can see that the state's landscape is taking a good beating as well.

Two years ago we had a very dry spring and summer. In the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, Linda and I noticed that the rabbits were eating the sides out of the barrel cacti to get some moisture. That was in July and August I believe. You can still see the dead remnants of their destruction from two years ago.

Two weekends ago we started noticing the same thing.
It's May this time.
http://hikearizona.com/~gtg/drought/drought1.jpg
http://hikearizona.com/~gtg/drought/drought2.jpg
http://hikearizona.com/~gtg/drought/drought3.jpg

I hope it starts raining soon.

GTG

evenstarx3 · Post by **evenstarx3** » May 30 2002 2:20 am

A real eye opener. 8O Went for a short hike in Thunderbird Park Tuesday and spent yesterday morning at Lake Pleasant getting an inflatable kayak I bought wet for the first time. First time I've been to either place, but the friend I was with said both were drier than she'd ever seen. Really a scary situation! Article in the Republic said the expected El Nino typically cuts the Monsoon short but brings on a wetter than usual fall and winter; it also said such effects usually last only one year and it's gonna take several wet years for the forests and wildlife to recover.

MtnGeek · Post by **MtnGeek** » May 30 2002 3:58 pm

I have never heard of bunnies eating cacti. What a rough way to get water.

Randy · Post by **Randy** » May 30 2002 4:59 pm

I spent the three day weekend camping out on some private land in New Mexico about 25 miles east of Springerville. The Rim from Christopher Creek to Show Low looked about ready to spontaneously combust. The grasslands from Show Low to Springerville were straw yellow although there was a trace of water in the Little Colorado.

There was a large burned area west of Springerville, which Highway 60 acted as a fire break for. If another one started there on a windy day now, it could go for a hundred miles. The pinyons are dying on my friend's land due to drought and some beetle infestation related to drought. We dumped the 25 gallons of water we had left on all the small ones before leaving. -R

BoyNhisDog · Post by **BoyNhisDog** » May 30 2002 7:33 pm

The big wildfire we have down here northeast of Tucson has now burned an area that is equivalent to one forth the area of Tucson. The devestation is huge.

olesma · Post by **olesma** » May 31 2002 1:23 pm

We may have to stop posting about the drought. I'm getting a little depressed just thinking about it.

I will say this though - not that I am hoping for any major forest fires, but some o the area below the rim have needed a good forest fire for years. The Poderosa Pine is actually fairly fire proof, and a regular cycle of forest fires has the effect of killing off the less healthy trees and leaves the good trees to grow in a thinned out environment. You can see that there are very few areas below the rim with truly healthy trees. Most of the trees are small and tightly packed together. They have tried to do some thinning through limmited logging, but it hasn't done all that much good.

That is also part of the problem, because there hasn't bee a good fire through there in so long the ground cover has just piled up and is now not only drier, but also deeper than it has ever been. The management of the forests out here have, for all intents and purposes, been laying the foundation for a real blaze. Not a healty blaze, but a seriously destructive one. Not good times - bad times. It's only a matter of time...

Good grief. Now I'm depressing myself.

Nighthiker · Post by **Nighthiker** » May 31 2002 2:45 pm

While visiting the Reymert millsite in the Mineral Mountains Southeast of Florence Junction, I came across this very large saguaro http://hikearizona.com/t2002/dated/053102/saguaro.jpg The drought has taken its toll on the saguaro's, they are starting to look like organ pipe cactus. I also counted 14 saguaro's that have fallen over since my previous visit to the area in feb.

ck_1 · Post by **ck_1** » May 31 2002 9:01 pm

We were hiking out at Usery today and saw several examples of GTG's photos...it is depressing. I know I sound like a sap, but I feel bad for the animals, the rabbits especially...I know, I'm a tree hugger...

evenstarx3 · Post by **evenstarx3** » May 31 2002 9:15 pm

If you have any love for animals you have to feel for the suffering they're going through; think it'd be monstrous not to.

GTG_AZH · Post by **GTG_AZH** » May 31 2002 9:26 pm

Sorry ck1, I feel worse for the cacti than I do for the rabbits. The rabbits will replace themselves in a matter of months, the barrel cactus takes a bit longer to repopulate an area.

GTG

ck_1 · Post by **ck_1** » May 31 2002 9:29 pm

I think we have a "flora vs Fauna" fight brewing here....

GeorgAZ · Post by **GeorgAZ** » May 31 2002 9:41 pm

I feel very bad for the wildlife with no food +water.My friend in pPayson has a fountain in her yard+has been visited by a small bear ,Javelina+ lots of deer. Hear about the mama bobcat + babies that visited a backyard in Troon?? Please let it rain!!

Drought Effects

Drought Effects

drought

Depressing

Cactus Hugger

wildlife intrpuble