Rock Quarry Restoration Saves A Park Big Dollars
Bryant R. 1997. Rock Quarry Restoration Saves A Park Big Dollars. Park Steward. (Spring 1997):8-9
The main visitor road into the south end of Bryce Canyon National Park was built in the 1930s using rock and gravel from a quarry inside the park. The resulting gravel quarry or borrow pit covered 2.5 acres and was linked to the main road via a step access road. The quarry material was limestone with no organic materials to facilitate plant growth. Since top soil was not salvaged during the initial operations, virtually no natural revegetaion has taken place in the intervening 60 years. Numerous attempts by the park to gain funding to rehabilitate the quarry and recontour its access road have failed. In 1994 and 1995 the southern eight miles of the park road were rebuilt with funding from the Federal Highways Administration. The park added extensive contract language to prevent the introduction of non-native plants or fill/rock of an incompatible color. The 1930s rock quarry was outside of the boundaries of the contract. Revegetation of the 70 acres disturbed by the project is well underway.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Bryant, Richard
- Units
- BRCA
- Keywords
- Aqua Canyon, drainage sump, Restoration, Revegetation, rock quarry