You are here

Soap Creek

Most recent Soap Creek Phenoocam ImageThe Grand Canyon Trust hosts four of the SEGA gardens, including Soap Creek, on land within an area covered by the Kane and Two Mile Ranches. Located on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, the Soap Creek garden is on Bureau of Land Management lands. Desert scrub is the dominant vegetation and the soil is limestone derived.

Background
The Grand Canyon Trust is a conservation organization that purchased the ranches and their grazing leases with the goal of working with land management agencies to maintain and restore the ecological, cultural, and scenic values of the lands. The ranches include about 1,000 acres of deeded land and grazing rights to an additional 850,000 acres of public land administered by the Kaibab National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, and Arizona State Land Department. The Kane and Two Mile Ranch Research and Stewardship Partnership was created to facilitate research, cooperation, and volunteer engagement that contribute to the long-term sustainability of native plant and wildlife communities while addressing livestock management needs. The partnership includes the Grand Canyon Trust, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Geological Survey, Kaibab National Forest, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona.

Site Characteristics Table
Garden name:
Soap Creek
County: Coconino County, Arizona
Latitude and Longitude: 36.75, -111.71
Nearest settlement: Marble Canyon, Arizona
Elevation: 4,360 ft. (1,329 m)
Annual Mean Air Temperature: Minimum 46°F (8°C) - Maximum 72°F (22°C)
Annual Mean Precipitation: 7.6 in (194 mm)
On-site manager:
No
Overnight housing: No, but Cliff Dwellers Lodge & GCT Kane Ranch are both nearby
Parent Material: Limestone
Water source: Water truck to fill tank
Dominant vegetation type: Desert scrub
 

Vegetation Description: 

Desert grassland. 

Total number of plant species: 45

Dominant plants: Bouteloua eriopoda (black grama grass), Coleogyne ramosissima (blackbrush), Hilaria jamesii (James' Galleta grass)

Main Associates: Atriplex canescens (four wing saltbush), Sphaeralcea ambigua (desert globemallow), Gutierrezia sarothrae (broom snakeweed)

Site Documents: 

Theme by Danetsoft and Danang Probo Sayekti inspired by Maksimer