Valley of the Gods 2
Data Sheet
VALLEY OF THE GODS
General Description: This photograph is one of a series depicting the environs and development of the Goodridge Oil Field. The view is north toward Balanced Rock. The immediate area is on a state section with BLM administered land surrounding it.
Soils: The site is near a boundary between Moenkopie or Moenkopie complex soils and Limeridge soil. Limeridge soils are yellowish red fine sandy loams that are well drained with very low or low water supplying capacity. They are typically no more than 19 inches deep over cemented hardpan. Moenkopie or Moenkopie warm complex soils are red very gravelly to sandy loams ranging in depth from only 6 to 9 inches over bedrock. Both Moenkopie soils are moderately to rapidly drained with very low water holding capacities.
Precipitation: A fifty year average annual precipitation of 6.50 inches has been recorded at Bluff, Utah, some 8 miles south of this photopoint.
Legal Description: NW1/4NE1/4 Section 36 T.40S., R.18E.
COMPARISON: Overall shrub composition, frequencies and ground cover have increased slightly in the 89 years between photographs. Rare blackbrush reproduction has occurred in this site. However, the wavyleaf oak plants present in 1910 are no longer found. This loss may have resulted from wind erosion of surface sand from the site as there appears to be more desert pavement in the 1999 photograph as compared to 1910. Cheatgrass is now found on this site. Because of the low precipitation rates and shallow, less productive soils that exist here, the site may be in a stable state. As such, improvements such as change in vegetation composition and frequencies are slow to occur. Some other plants occurring here are Mormon tea, cliffrose, Indian ricegrass, snakeweed, bush encelia and pricklypear cactus.
Original:
Date: ca. 1910 (- A)
Photographer: E.G. Woodruff
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Colorado
Photograph Number: Woodruff No. 165
Retake:
Date: June 3, 1999 (- B)
Photographer: Earl Hindley
Source: San Juan County
