Grand Canyon National Park and Grand Canyon National Park Foundation Final 2007 Management and Monitoring Report Management & Control of Tamarisk and Other Invasive Vegetation at Backcountry Seeps, Springs and Tributaries in Grand Canyon National Park (Phase II-A, First Year of Phase II of Comprehensive Project) Arizona Water Protection Fund Contract Number 05-131WPF FINAL Revision Submitted to Grand Canyon National Park Foundation and AWPF on: February 22, 2008 Prepared by: Kate Watters and Lori Makarick Backcountry Vegetation Program Grand Canyon National Park 823 North San Francisco, Suite B Flagstaff, AZ 86001-3265 Phone: (928) 226-0165 Email: [email protected] [email protected] I. Abstract _____________________________________________________________________ 6 II. Introduction_________________________________________________________________ 7 a. Overview of project status ___________________________________________________________7 b. Justification for recent work _________________________________________________________8 c. Management objectives______________________________________________________________9 d. Monitoring objectives _______________________________________________________________9 III. Management Methods_______________________________________________________ 10 a. General Vegetation Community Description___________________________________________10 b. Project Area Specifics and Descriptions _______________________________________________12 Badger Canyon ___________________________________________________________________________12 South Canyon – Lower and Upper ___________________________________________________________13 36.5 Mile wash ____________________________________________________________________________14 Saddle Canyon ____________________________________________________________________________14 Little Nankoweap Creek ____________________________________________________________________15 Nankoweap Creek – Lower and Middle _______________________________________________________16 Nankoweap Creek – Upper__________________________________________________________________17 Kwagunt Creek – Upper____________________________________________________________________18 Carbon Creek – Upper _____________________________________________________________________19 Lava Chuar – Upper _______________________________________________________________________19 Cardenas Hillside Spring ___________________________________________________________________21 70.8 Mile Drainage_________________________________________________________________________21 Unkar Creek – Lower ______________________________________________________________________22 Unkar Creek – Upper ______________________________________________________________________22 Papago Creek_____________________________________________________________________________23 Red Canyon ______________________________________________________________________________23 Hance Creek______________________________________________________________________________24 Cottonwood Creek_________________________________________________________________________25 Grapevine Creek __________________________________________________________________________26 Boulder Creek ____________________________________________________________________________27 Clear Creek – Upper _______________________________________________________________________27 Bright Angel Creek / Phantom Creek _________________________________________________________28 Transept Canyon __________________________________________________________________________30 Pipe Creek – Lower and Upper ______________________________________________________________31 Garden Creek ____________________________________________________________________________32 Boucher Creek – Upper ____________________________________________________________________33 Crystal Creek_____________________________________________________________________________34 Copper Canyon ___________________________________________________________________________34 112 Mile Wash ____________________________________________________________________________35 130 Mile Creek____________________________________________________________________________36 Trail Canyon _____________________________________________________________________________36 225 Mile Canyon __________________________________________________________________________37 c. Project Logistics___________________________________________________________________38 Table 1. Phase II-A Project Areas List and Completion Status ____________________________________39 Backpacking Logistics______________________________________________________________________39 Table 2. Phase II-A Backpacking Trips _______________________________________________________41 River Trip Logistics________________________________________________________________________42 2 Table 3. Phase II-A River Trip Participant List ________________________________________________42 Table 4. Phase II-A River Trip Itineraries _____________________________________________________43 d. Invasive plant management methods and conditions ____________________________________45 Manual Removal __________________________________________________________________________45 Girdle Method ____________________________________________________________________________46 Cut Stump Method ________________________________________________________________________46 Basal Bark Application _____________________________________________________________________46 Mitigation Measures _______________________________________________________________________46 Herbicide Use_____________________________________________________________________________46 e. Review of methods _________________________________________________________________48 IV. Management Results ________________________________________________________ 49 a. Results of recent data collection _____________________________________________________49 Tamarisk and Other Invasive Species Control Results ___________________________________________49 Table 5. Tamarisk Control Summary_________________________________________________________49 Figure 1. Tamarisk Treatment by Size Class___________________________________________________51 Figure 2. Tamarisk Treatment by Method_____________________________________________________51 Table 6. Other Invasive Species Controlled ____________________________________________________52 Figure 3. Other Invasive Species Treated______________________________________________________52 Tamarisk Retreatment Results_______________________________________________________________53 Table 7. Tamarisk Retreatment Results_______________________________________________________53 Figure 4. Tamarisk Retreatment Results by Method ____________________________________________54 Herbicide Use_____________________________________________________________________________54 Table 8. Herbicide Use _____________________________________________________________________54 Volunteer Summary _______________________________________________________________________54 Table 9. Volunteer Contribution to Project ___________________________________________________57 Wildlife Observations ______________________________________________________________________61 Table 10. Wildlife Observations ______________________________________________________________61 b. Project Matching Contribution______________________________________________________64 Table 11. Phase II-A GRCA Matching Contribution_____________________________________________66 c. Project Press _____________________________________________________________________66 d. Public Education Materials _________________________________________________________67 V. Monitoring Methods__________________________________________________________ 67 a. Vegetation Transects_______________________________________________________________67 Table 12. Phase II-A Monitoring Project Area List ______________________________________________68 Table 13. Ground Cover Substrate Categories _________________________________________________68 Table 14. Cover Classes ____________________________________________________________________69 b. Hydrology Sampling ______________________________________________________________69 c. Soil Sampling_____________________________________________________________________71 d. Photopoint Installation_____________________________________________________________71 e. Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Habitat Assessments and Wildlife Monitoring _____________72 f. Data Forms and Project Database____________________________________________________72 Figure 5. Grand Canyon Database – Main Menu _______________________________________________73 Figure 6. Grand Canyon Database – Exotics Menu ______________________________________________73 Figure 7. Grand Canyon Database – Exotics Report Menu _______________________________________74 VI. Monitoring Results __________________________________________________________ 74 a. Trip summaries ___________________________________________________________________74 3 Table 15. Monitoring River Trip Participant List _______________________________________________75 Table 16. Monitoring River Trip Itineraries____________________________________________________76 b. Vegetation transects _______________________________________________________________77 Statistical Analyses ________________________________________________________________________78