Carrizo Plain
(Redirected from Carrizo Plain National Monument)
| Carrizo Plain National Monument | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category III (Natural Monument) | |
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| Location: | California, USA |
| Nearest city: | Maricopa |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 180,000 acres (728 km²) |
| Established: | January 2001 |
| Governing body: | BLM |
The Carrizo Plain is a large enclosed plain, approximately 50 miles (80 km) long and up to 15 miles (24 km) across, in eastern San Luis Obispo County, California, U.S. It contains the 180,000 acre (728 km²) Carrizo Plain National Monument, and is the largest single native grassland remaining in California.
The plain extends northwest from the town of Maricopa, following the San Andreas Fault. Bordering the plain to the northeast is the Temblor Range, on the other side of which is the large Central Valley of California; and bordering the plain to the southwest is the Caliente Range. The community of California Valley is on the northern part of the plain. The average elevation of the plain is about 700 m (2200 feet). Soda Lake, a 3000 acre (12 km²) alkaline lake, is in the center of the plain, receiving all runoff from both sides, since the plain is an enclosed basin. At 1556 m (5106 feet) Caliente Mountain stands as the highest point in both the plain and San Luis Obispo County.
The Carrizo Plain is one of the easiest places to see the San Andreas Fault, which is clearly visible along the eastern side of the plain, at the foot of the Temblor Range. It is best seen in early morning and evening light, when shadows make the topography visible. In addition to its spring wildflower displays, Carrizo Plain is famous for Painted Rock, a sandstone alcove adorned with pictographs created by the Chumash people around 2000 BC.
Land management of the Carrizo Plain is a joint project between the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the Nature Conservancy, which owns much of the land. One of the current range management projects involves removing non-native grasses by selective cattle grazing early in the season (when non-native plants first emerge). Later in the season, the cattle are removed; native plants then have a competitive advantage versus the non-native and invasive vegetation. Wildlife of the Carrizo includes the San Joaquin Kit Fox, and reintroduced Tule Elk and Pronghorns. The Le Conte's Thrasher of the hot, desert southwest, has a disjunct north range in the Carrizo Plain because of its hotter climate, and ecology.
California Highway 166 passes the south entrance to the Carrizo Plain, and California Highway 58 crosses through the northern portion. Connecting them, and the only dependably passable road through the plain itself, is narrow Soda Lake Road, which is gravel for much of its extent.
Manager suicide
In 2005, the Department of the Interior, Office of the Inspector General conducted an investigation into the suicide of late Monument Manager, Marlene A. Braun. An August 8, 2005 letter from the Office of the Inspector General says there was a conflict between Braun and her supervisor which went back to 2004. She was allegedly suspended for five days in January 2005. According to the letter, the Bureau of Land Management Region office also conducted an investigation into the matter. Braun committed suicide in her Carrizo Plains home on May 2, 2005.
External links
- Carrizo Plain National Monument Official BLM Website
- Carrizo Plain, Sierra Club
- The Friends of the Carrizo Plain
- Article about Braun's death.
 Carrizo Plain, looking southeast from near Soda Lake. Poppies and lupine in the foreground |  Carrizo Plain, looking northeast from Caliente foothills. Elkhorn Scarp and San Andreas Fault visible in the distance, below the Temblor Range |  The main north-south road, Soda Lake Rd., is only partly paved and can be unusable in wet weather. |  About 25 shy Pronghorn Antelope hang out in the Monument. |
Categories
IUCN Category III | Geography of California | National Monuments of the United States | National Grasslands of the United States | San Luis Obispo County, California