Deep Canyon Watershed

This area links the Philip Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center and the Martinez Canyon and includes the eastern slope of Martinez Mountain. Vegetation ranges from creosote bush scrub on the lower slopes to a pine woodland in the higher elevations.

In the scrub there is Larrea tridentata, the dominant species, together with brittle bush, Encelia farinosa, burro-weed, Ambrosia dumosa, Agave deserti, and, in the rocky area, some ocotillo, Fouquieria splendens. This grades into a transition area with crucillo, Zizyphus parryi var. parryi, Bernardia incana, California juniper, Juniperus californica, scrub oak, Quercus turbinella, and Arctostaphylos glauca.

A pinyon-juniper woodland, with Pinus monophylla as the dominant tree and juniper, scrub oak, red shank, Adenostoma sparsifolium, Ceanothus greggii and sugar bush, Rhus ovata, in the understory, covers much of the area's uplands. Higher, Jeffrey pines, Pinus jeffreyi, replace the pinyon, and at the highest elevations there is an evergreen forest with Jeffrey pine, sugar pine, Pinus lambertiana, limber pine, Pinus flexilis, and white fir, Abies concolor.

Along the stream beds a riparian growth occurs, including cottonwood, Populus fremontii, willow, Salix laevigata, Salix gooddingii and Salix exigua, white alder, Alnus rhombifolia, and ash, Fraxinus velutina.

Two rare or endangered plants are found in or near the area, Penstemon californicus and Salvia eremostachya. Animals are abundant and range from desert to montane species. Of note is the comparatively large population of the bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis, which utilize the summer water supplies in the area.

On the east side of Martinez Mountain there is a gigantic landslide; the source scar and debris lobe extend about 8 kilometers (5 miles) and large blocks of rocks are visible in the toe of the slide. This slide differs from the Blackhawk landslide in having larger debris fragments and a shorter projection from the mountain front.

Integrity: There has been logging in the upper portion and fires (1940); however, most of the area is virtually pristine.

Use: Research, educational, observational. Some private.

Ref: Zabriskie, Jan. 1979. Plants of Deep Canyon, University of California Riverside, 174 pp.

March 1982