White Rock Canyon and its Riparian Areas

Keller, Charles

The arid Southwest is interrupted here and there by streams, springs, and seeps that harbor an entirely different flora from their immediate surroundings. White Rock Canyon below the Jemez Mountains' Pajarito Plateau west of Santa Fe is a particularly interesting example because it is at somewhat of a boundary between northern and southern and eastern and western native plants. As such it may represent the extreme extension of several species. The better-studied Bandelier National Monument immediately to the south would be a logical location for such a study were it not for the fact that its entire riparian region adjacent to the Rio Grande was deeply submerged by the high water behind Cochiti dam in the mid- 1980s. Native plants in the splendid outflow areas of Frijoles and Alamo creeks were largely destroyed and replaced by invasive, weedy, and often non-native species. True, Bandelier contains good riparian habitat above the level of the flooding, but most of that is under ponderosa and so has a more forested character. To the north of White Rock Canyon the land has been increasingly disturbed by habitation. Thus, in addition to its rugged slopes, benches, and sand flats, White Rock Canyon between Ancho and Pajarito creeks is worth study as an example of open riparian habitat in the region. Finally, given recent discussions about possible reintroduction of desert bighorn sheep into White Rock Canyon, it seems prudent to complete a floristic inventory of the area.