Southeast Utah (Back to Landscapes Program Index)
The spectacular 1200 square mile basin of Canyonlands National Park lies at the geographic heart of the Colorado Plateau. Here, 300 million years of geologic history are revealed in the deep canyons of the Colorado and Green Rivers. The downward cutting movement of the rivers and their tributaries, through layers of sedimentary rock, continues to form one of the largest and most intricate canyon systems on earth. Upstream on the Green River are Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyons, and on the Colorado River, the twin jewels of Arches National Park and Westwater Canyon.
This extraordinary geological province is filled with the greatest density of natural arches in the world. Pinnacles, rock fins, grottos, balanced rocks, hoodoos and natural bridges abound, sheltering a richness of species in diverse habitats. Mountain ranges provide watersheds that give life to the adjacent desert country. Vast expanses of bare red rock are broken by lush riparian areas, ephemeral pools, grassland and sage steppes. In this land of extremes, temperature fluctuations of 50 degrees in one day are common, animals and plants have evolved unique adaptations to survive and many species are endemic to the region. And southeast Utah contains one of the world’s great archaeological districts, where priceless treasures from the past are abundant.
This living Eden of canyons, mesas and deep river gorges attracts recreationists from all over the world who come to hike, mountain bike, climb, run rivers, ski and explore via jeeps and all-terrain vehicles. In recent years, an exponential increase in visitation to the public lands has demonstrated the necessity for good planning to accommodate the multiple use mandate of the BLM and Forest Service. The Grand Canyon Trust has been working with both federal agencies to advocate for sustainable use while outdated land use management plans are being rewritten. Increased pressure for oil and gas development, an explosion of OHV use and grazing on drought-stressed terrain, have created the need for a new management vision for this extraordinary landscape.
In fragile desert terrain, water is the commons for every living thing and drought cycles are a natural event in the weather pattern. However, during the last 6 years the southwest has experienced drought conditions that, according to the USGS, are the worst in 500 years. If natural rainfall resumed now it would take ten years to recover watersheds. But the drought is not expected to break soon and could last for another 17 years. Some already impacted lands may never recover.
The Grand Canyon Trust is helping local communities succeed in private conservation initiatives, enlisting them in the great work of establishing healthy relations with the natural world on which they depend. Together, we must work for a future that ensures the survival of all plants, animals and humans who share a home in this beautiful and remarkable place.
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