PIPE SPRING Cultures at a Crossroads: An Administrative History

Soil Conservation

On August 21, 1947, Soil Conservationist Paul L. Balch (regional office) made one of at least three visits to Pipe Spring during the post-war years. During this visit he inspected the monument's vegetation with Grand Canyon National Park's Ranger Art Brown and checked it for erosion conditions. While noting the climax grass in the area was Galleta (Hilaria jamesii), it had been almost entirely eliminated by overgrazing and now was replaced by cheat grass (Bromus tectorum). Although grazing in the monument was no longer allowed, wind erosion had caused blowouts and sand dunes. Sheet and rill erosion was present, but no active gully erosion was observed. Balch noted that erosion conditions within the monument were worse than on the reservation's grazing lands located just outside its boundaries. He recommended reseeding the monument with native Galleta grass to deter further wind and water erosion. [1454]

On June 21, 1948, Balch returned to Pipe Spring in the company of Regional Forester Harold M. Ratcliff and Chief Ranger Fagergren to check the monument for reseeding and vegetation growth. Nothing in the way of natural revegetation had been done since his previous visit but foxtail, cheat grass, and annual weeds were providing a little more protection from erosion, he observed. He recommended that 25 acres be reseeded with Galleta grass. "The availability of seed will be the limiting factor," he noted. [1455] Balch again returned in October of that year with Assistant Director William E. Erdersbee, Soil Conservation (Washington office).