Solstice Creek Habitat Restoration

This project removed exotic vegetation and planted native vegetation in Solstice Canyon from the entrance at Corral Canyon Road to the Tropical Terrace ruin, approximately 1.5 miles upstream from the park entrance, which is the full extent of potential steelhead rearing habitat. The project area extended 300 feet on either side of the stream and cover approximately non-native infestations within and area of approximately 100 acres.

Solstice Creek is a stream with alder-sycamore-oak riparian habitat. It has been determined by fisheries experts to have high potential for re-occupation by the southern steelhead once barriers are removed. The National Park Service has removed eight in-stream barriers in Solstice Canyon (4 low-water Arizona crossings and 4 check dams). These barrier removals opened up approximately 1.5 miles of perennial stream habitat that will be available to the endangered steelhead trout once the 2 culverts downstream are removed or modified. There are plans to modify the remaining barriers by Fall 2007.
The stream habitat is threatened by a number of aggressive non-native plants, particularly Euphorbia terracina (carnation spurge) and Vinca major (periwinkle) beneath the riparian canopy and in adjacent uplands and Cyperus involucratus (umbrella sedge) within the streambed. Other species of concern at the site are Conium maculatum (poison hemlock) and Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) in adjacent uplands, Tropaeolum majus (nasturtium) beneath the riparian canopy and Carduus pycnocephahlus (Italian thistle) in locally disturbed sites.