Utah Lepidopterist Bulletin of the Utah Lepidopterists' Society Volume 12 - Number 2 December 2005 Utah’s Dixie by Todd L. Stout Utah's Dixie" represents one of the most picturesque, biodiverse regions of Utah and one of the most scenic areas in the world. Located in Washington County in the southwest corner of Utah, this physiogeographic region , also known as "Utah's Color Country," displays abrupt topographical changes ranging from volcanic remnants and mountains to Navajo sandstone hills and buttes. The native flora also displays dramatic changes ranging from aspen-ponderosa pine forests in the Pine Valley Mountains to joshua tree-creosote flora of the Beaver Dam Slope in the northeastern Mojave Desert. In the words of Schmerker, "Utah's Dixie is where the Basin and Range province, the Colorado Plateau and the Mojave Desert converge into St George, Washington County, Utah - The Heart of Utah’s Dixie a surreal pile of rocks, flora and Photo Courtesy of www.olwm.com www.utahstgeorge.com fauna..." The history of the region is perhaps as heavy rains and early season floods till, sow, and harvest cotton. equally enchanting as its topography. during 2005 which washed out many After the Mormon pioneers settled the Mainly because of its breathtaking homes and bridges along the Santa Salt Lake Valley in 1847, their leader, vistas and mild winters, Utah's Dixie Clara River is proof enough that this Brigham Young, in December of is one of the fastest growing regions is as true today as it was in the past! 1849, sent Parley P. Pratt and fifty in Utah where snowbirds, golf gurus, other men to explore this unique The region is known as "Utah's retirees, or anyone else looking for geographical region. Parley P. Pratt's Dixie" because of the establishment improved scenery are attracted to the glowing report of the fertility and of the Cotton Mission in the city of region. The downside to this water availability soon prompted Washington in 1857. Because of the accelerated growth in Utah’s Dixie is colonization. However, taming the Civil War, Brigham Young, knowing the ongoing destruction of native and Virgin and Santa Clara Rivers during that the cotton necessary to make distinctive lepidoptera-rich habitat. drought times and subsequent clothing would become scarce from In addition to local areas such as the torrential floods at other times warring states, hand picked and sent Virgin River Gorge, Snow Canyon became more than a challenge. The 38 experienced Southern families to State Park, Tuacahn Outdoor Theater, 15 Hurricane Cliffs, and Red Cliffs and Virgin Rivers (Figure 3, p. 18). Corridor transition from the Navajo Desert Reserve, tourists and locals are The plant community found here sandstone hills and lava ridges to the also attracted to nearby Zion includes Larrea tridenta (creosote montane backdrop of the Pine Valley National Park, Cedar Breaks National bush), Atriplex lentiformis (big Mountains. Looking to the south, Monument, and Bryce Canyon saltbush), Phragmites australis your vista is completely different as National Park. Even the Grand (common reed), Baccharis glutinosa you witness many of the Plateau Canyon in northern Arizona is within (seep willow), Salix exigua (sandbar buttes and knolls against a scenic a few hours' drive of St. George. willow), Populus spp. (cottonwood), backdrop of Zion National Park. and, unfortunately, the nonnative Due to its geology, southern latitudes Some of the butterflies that are found Tamerisk ramosissima (salt cedar). and lower elevations, Utah’s Dixie in the Plateau region of Utah’s Dixie Some of the butterflies found here are contains several unique environments include Precis coenia (buckeye), Danaus gilippus thersippus (queen), found nowhere else in Utah. Apodemia mormo mormo (mormon Precis coenia (buckeye), Ochlodes Consequently, many butterflies and metalmark), Brephidium exilis yuma yuma (yuma skipper), and skippers are found exclusively here in (pygmy blue), Megathymus yuccae Limenitis archippus obsoleta (arizona the southwest corner of the state. coloradensis (yucca giant skipper), viceroy). These environments can be divided and, at higher elevations, Polygonia into five topographical subsections The Dixie Corridor represents the rest satyrus (satyr comma). known as the Utah Mojave, Virgin of the St. George basin including low The Montane region of Utah's Dixie River Basin, Dixie Corridor, elevation lava hills and ridges, red is represented mainly by the Pine Montane, and Plateau regions. Navajo sandstone knolls, buttes, and Valley Mountains (The highest point hills (Figure 4, p. 18), as well as the The Utah Mojave (Figure 2, p. 18) reaches 10,365 feet.) located in the Yucca, Larrea, and Rumex-covered represents the northeastern limits of north-central portion of Washington sand dunes found in the vicinity of the Mojave Desert and is situated in County. One of the more picturesque Warner Valley. Some of the the extreme southwest corner of canyons in Utah's Dixie that butterflies and skippers found in this Washington County. At a statewide demonstrates a subtle transition from subsection include Chlosyne lacinia elevational low of 2,200 feet, it Dixie Corridor to montane is Leeds (bordered patch), Anthocharis includes the Mojave Desert floor, the Canyon (Figure 6, p. 18). The mouth cethura pima (desert orangetip), Beaver Dam Wash, the Beaver Dam of Leeds Canyon (3900') contains Euchloe (hyantis) lotta (desert Slope, and even portions of the Navajo sandstone ridges with a desert marble), Euphydryas anicia hermosa Beaver Dam Mountains where Yucca community of common trees and (anicia checkerspot), Chlosyne brevifolia (joshua tree) makes an shrubs such as Larrea tridenta neumoegeni neumoegeni (desert attempt to climb the mountains. (creosote bush), Juniperus checkerspot), Papilio indra calcicola However, as witnessed by those who osteosperma (utah juniper), Quercus (cliff swallowtail), Apodemia palmeri have driven old US 91, joshua trees turbinella (permanent oak), Populus (palmers metalmark), Pyrgus haven't quite made it over the summit fremontii (cottonwood), and Prunus scriptura (small checkered skipper), of Utah Hill. COL Clyde Gillette fasciculata (desert almond). Some of and Megathymus yuccae coloradensis defines the Utah Mojave as that the butterflies that are found in the (yucca giant skipper). Figure 1 (p.17) portion of Utah’s Dixie that contains lower portions of Leeds Canyon illustrates a collage of some of the native stands of joshua trees. include Callophrys siva siva (juniper unique butterflies found in Utah’s hairstreak), Nymphalis antiopa Another plant that seems to be Utah Dixie. (mourning cloak), Anthocharis Mojave specific is Thamnosma The Plateau region of Utah's Dixie cethura pima (desert orangetip), montana (turpentine broom), the located in the south, southeastern Anthocharis sara thoosa larval hostplant of Papilio coloro portion of Washington County (southwestern orangetip), Adelpha (mojave swallowtail). Other includes the Navajo sandstone, eulalia (arizona sister), Brephidium butterflies that are found in the Utah Chinle, and other rock formations that exilis (pygmy blue), Euphydryas Mojave are Thessalia leanira alma make up the knolls, buttes, and mesas anicia hermosa (anicia checkerspot), (utah beaded checkerspot), Apodemia of Warner Ridge (Figure 5, p. 18), Cyllopsis pertepida dorothea mormo mormo (mormon metalmark), Sand Mountain, Mollies Nipple, (canyonlands satyr), and Erynnis Callophrys comstocki (desert green Vermillion Cliffs, Hurricane Cliffs meridianus (meridian duskywing). hairstreak), Heliopetes ericetorum and Zion National Park. (northern white skipper), and, in some As you proceed east up Leeds Canyon years, Libytheana carinenta larvata One of the best places to witness the toward Oak Grove Campground and (american snout). scenic dissimilarities found in Utah’s the Pine Valley Mountains, the desert Dixie is from I-15 itself. As you community transitions from creosote- The Virgin River Basin represents the drive northeast from St. George to shadscale scrub to pinyon-juniper riparian section of the St. George Cedar City and approach the forest. Similarly, Quercus turbinella basin and includes the Santa Clara Hurricane area, you will see the Dixie is gradually replaced by Quercus 16 gambellii; Penstemon palmeri is Grove Campground, it would require eulalia (arizona sister), Limenitis replaced by Penstemon eatonii; and a 63-mile drive to access one from the weidemeyeri weidemeyeri Lomatium parryi (parry lomatium) is other as the terrain separating the two (weidemeyer's admiral), Papilio replaced by a small population of campgrounds is a wilderness of high bairdi (bairds swallowtail), Papilio Lomatium scabrum tripinnatum (cliff cliffs and peaks. The Pine Valley rutulus (western tiger swallowtail), lomatium). One of the species of Campground is accessible from St. Papilio multicaudatus multicaudatus butterflies that is found more George by traveling north on UT. (two-tailed swallowtail), Zerene commonly in the higher elevations of Hwy 18 to the community of Central, cesonia (southern dogface), Ochlodes Leeds Canyon at Oak Grove then turning east on the road to the sylvanoides omnigena (woodland Campground is Papilio bairdi (bairds Pine Valley Campground. skipper), Speyeria nokomis swallowtail). apacheana (nokomis fritillary), and At an elevation of 7,000 feet, the Speyeria hesperis chitone Another locale in the Pine Valley aspen/ponderosa pine community of (northwestern fritillary). Mountains is Pine Valley Pine Valley Campground is Campground