A Springtime Visit Behind the Rocks Offers Some Surprises
On April 15, 2012, I drove from Moab, Utah to Behind the Rocks. There, for one long weekend each year, that area is the hub of activity for the 24-Hours of Moab
off-road bicycle race. It had been six months since my October 2011
visit to the event. Half way between the two races was a good time to
assess the environmental impact of annual off-road bike racing Behind the Rocks.
Behind the Rocks is a sandy-soiled mesa ten miles south and two miles off-road from Moab, Utah. In spring, summer and fall, since the 1890’s, cattle had grazed Behind the Rocks.
Before its first ecological breakdown, the fragile mesa endured
decades of overgrazing. Only its 5500-foot elevation has kept the area
from cactus infestation, as happened in the upper section of the nearby
Spanish Valley.
Under the trampling hooves of range cattle, indigenous cryptobiotic
soil deteriorated and blew away. Whatever natural vegetation may have
existed prior to a century of grazing, the mesa now supports a
combination of weedy and grassy areas.
Kane Creek provides the main runoff channel for the entire mesa. Although the spring flow can be intermittent
or nonexistent, summer thunderstorms sweep huge amounts of soil down
Kane Creek. Increased movement of soil amplifies streambed erosion.
Where small watercourses once meandered, sandy arroyos with
straight-sided banks now stand. Some areas have lost all their soil,
leaving expanses of bare rock.
For the past seventeen years, hundreds of off-road bicycle racers and fans have camped, played and ridden Behind the Rocks
each October. Each year, self-appointed guardians of the local
environment lament supposed damage done by the 24-Hours of Moab Race.
Some hike cross-country in order to photograph a few bicycle tracks
that stray from the designated course. The real issue is not only about
damage by errant bike racers. It is also about the monitors tramping
across a fragile landscape in order to “get their shot”.
Driving across the deserted landscape that day, I could not locate the
bicycle race venue. Without its tents and bicycles to identify it, I
drove on by. Soon, I came across an open area eroded by off-road
vehicles. Along the fringes of the area, I could see how vegetation had
once held the soil. Within the eroded area, there were only traces of
native vegetation. Although I saw no off-road vehicles Behind the Rocks that day, evidence of vehicular traffic was everywhere. One nearby sand dune had hundreds of tracks leading to its summit.
Getting out of my truck, I surveyed the 24-Hours of Moab Race venue and the La Sal Range
beyond. Admittedly, there was little vegetation where the main tent
had stood. Only after leaving my vehicle did I realize the damage that I
was causing. Looking down, I saw that the wide tires on my truck had
crushed whatever soil-crust had formed since October 2011. Otherwise,
the race venue looked quite similar to much of the surrounding
landscape.
During my earlier discussion with 24-HOM race promoter Laird Knight,
he had told me about their environmental amelioration techniques. Each
year, after all trash, facilities and vehicles depart; Knut & Sons
roll their enormous water trucks around the empty venue. A generous
sprinkling of water turns fields of dust into fields of mud. As the sun
dries the mud, it forms a crust almost as strong as natural
cryptobiotic soil. Unless churned by wheels, hooves or feet in the
off-season, Laird said, “Racers and visitors to the next 24-Hours of Moab Race can expect to see the area look much as it has for the past eighteen years”.
Rather than seeking to end the one family event
that helps to regenerate the environment Behind the Rocks each year,
environmentalists should concentrate on overuse by off-road vehicles.
The Bureau of Land Management should place an immediate ban on driving
in watercourses and sensitive dune areas. If not, the remaining soil on
the mesa will continue its slow-motion disintegration down Kane
Springs Canyon and into the overburdened Colorado River.
Behind the Rocks combines both fragility and stability in one location.
With respectful usage, the mesa will regenerate or at least maintain
itself. If scoured down to bedrock, Behind the Rocks will lose its
appeal as a place for human recreation. With care and cooperation by
all interested parties, Behind the Rocks will remain a remarkable place
to bike, hike or even to trail-ride in a Jeep.
By James McGillis at 05:45 PM | | Comments (0) | Link
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