Kanab Creek

Dropping precipitously from the western escarpment of the Kaibab Plateau, the wind- and water-sculpted canyon walls of Kanab Creek enclose some of the Colorado Plateau’s richest of cultural and ecological legacies. Ancient rock art decorates the canyon walls amid springs, seeps, and hanging gardens which host a strikingly diverse array of plant and animal species. As the largest tributary entering the Grand Canyon from the northern side, Kanab Creek is one of the few major water sources to the Arizona Strip. Consequently, water development in the form of dams and diversions has altered the natural flow patterns in this river, and heavy infestations of invasive non-native species such as tamarisk have taken hold. The potential for uranium mining threatens the quality of clean water emerging from the Kaibab Limestone formation and the safety of the humans and wildlife that depend on it. Given these far-reaching threats to the Kanab Creek ecosystem, there is a growing need to cultivate awareness and action toward preserving this stronghold of cultural history and biodiversity.

Cultural relics in Kanab Creek and its tributaries date back over 2000 years, when prehistoric inhabitants of the Colorado Plateau used Snake Gulch and Kanab Creek to access the Kaibab Plateau at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon from Havasu Canyon at the South Rim. Today, Kanab Creek is one of the quintessential routes for backpackers, offering an opportunity to marvel at the unique geology, wildlife, and cultural heritage sites contained within the Kanab Creek Wilderness Area as they descend deep into the Grand Canyon.

The springs, seeps, hanging gardens, and intermittent streamflow habitats in Kanab Creek are regionally rare ecosystems and highly important for wildlife species. They are also particularly subject to ecological stresses such as climate change, and activities such as agriculture and urban development, which remove water from the stream. Although Kanab Creek has always been intermittent, water diversions for irrigation and municipal use have caused significant changes to the Kanab Creek ecosystem, by reducing streamflows throughout the drainage. These changes in flow may have facilitated the establishment of tamarisk, a non-native invasive species which has heavily infested parts of Kanab Creek. Our restoration work in Kanab Creek will center on addressing issues associated with this infestation, as well as monitoring conditions in springs, seeps, and hanging garden habitats. Through a volunteer-driven effort, we have surveyed tamarisk in the portions of Kanab Creek and its tributaries that exist on U.S. Forest Service lands. We plan to fully synthesize survey results, and work with partners, including the U.S. Forest Service, to determine the most efficient and effective approaches to restoring and protecting Kanab Creek.