Save the Watermans
Bufflegrass Pulls on the Ironwood Forest National Monument
Just 20 miles west of Marana, the Watermans are one of the few Paleozoic limestone uplifts in the Sonora Desert. Due to the nature of their unique limestone soils they are home to the endangered Nichols Turkshead Cactus as well as relict stands of Bursera elephant trees. Unfortunately their limestone soil also makes them super sensitive to buffelgrass infestation.
Now is the time to nip the invasion before it is too late and the situation gets out of control. The Friends of Ironwood Forest National Monument (FIF) and our BLM partners are launching an all out effort to Save the Watermans.
Our major challenge now is to dig out stands of buffelgrass that have gotten started on steep off-trail slopes. We want to dig out as many of those stands as possible before the 2010 monsoon, so as to cut off their continued seed production and march to the summits of the Watermans.
The next opportunity to help eliminate this species from the Monument will be on Saturday, February 6, 2010, in conjunction with Beat Back Buffelgrass Day.
Email lahsha@ironwoodforest.org for more info or to volunteer.
There will be a special Save the Watermans event on 14 November sponsored by Friends of Ironwood Forest and BLM.
We will be taking out Buffelgrass patches among the Bursera Elephant trees and Ironwoods on the south facing slopes of the east drainage of the Watermans. Volunteers will have the opportunity to be up close and personal with Nichols Turks heads and Elephant trees, while wiping out the pest that threatens them. The BLM Law Enforcement personnel will be posted in the vicinity for our safety because of recent smuggling activity along Waterman Road. We will be working on rocky slopes, so bring sturdy boots, at least a quart of water, and a morning snack. Friends of Ironwood Forest will offer lunch.
Date and Time: Saturday 14 November at 730 AM.
(we carpool in high clearance vehicles and leave at 735)
Meeting Place: Intersection of Avra Valley and Pump Station Roads
(Ironwood Forest National Monument)
Pleave RSVP so we can plan for enough tools:
john@ironwoodforest.org
520-229-1044