Surprise Canyon ACEC

Surprise Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) lies on the west slope of the Panamint Range and abuts Death Valley National Monument on the east and north.

Vegetation in the canyon and slopes ranges from a creosote bush scrub with Larrea tridentata and some barrel cactus, Ferocactus cylindraceus, in the lower elevations, through a pinyon-juniper woodland where Pinus monophylla and Utah juniper, Juniperus osteosperma, are present, to a subalpine forest at the ridge crest. Bristlecone pine, Pinus longaeva, is the main cover in the forest.

There is a well-developed riparian association in the canyon. Among the components are cottonwood, Populus fremontii, desert olive, Forestiera neomexicana, willow, Salix sp., water-wally, Baccharis salicifolia, desert grape, Vitis girdiana, virgin's-bower, Clematis ligusticifolia var. brevifolia, and honey mesquite, Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana. Cattail, Typha sp., and common reed, Phragmites communis, are present in and near the stream.

Several rare or uncommon plants are found here, Brickellia knappiana, Dudleya saxosa, Enceliopsis covillei and Phacelia mustelina.

The abundance of water in the perennial stream and springs attracts numerous animals. These include prairie falcon, Falco mexicanus, yellow warbler, Dendroica petechia, dipper (water ouzel), Cinclus mexicanus, winter wren, Troglodytes troglodytes, pallid bat, Antrozous pallidus, big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus, and the desert bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis nelsoni. An isolated population of the Pacific tree from, Hyla regilla, is found here.

Integrity: remnants of the tough mining camp, Panamint City, which flourished from 1875 - 1877, are present, as is an access road. There are some homes and mining in the area. The vegetation has been damaged, heavily in places, by feral burros, and cacti are being vandalized. However, the rugged terrain has enabled much of the area to remain relatively undisturbed.

Use: Research, educational, observational. Some private.

April 1982