San Pedro River at Charleston (09471000), July 29, 2000 (b)
Dominic Oldershaw, Stake 293
Cottonwoods block any view of the channel at this site. In the
last 50 years, riparian vegetation along the San Pedro River has become extremely
dense and is a magnet for neotropical species, particularly birds but also
animals. As a result, this vegetation corridor is highly valued by the Bureau
of Land Management, and the area has been converted into the San Pedro Riparian
National Conservation Area. Many of the camera stations for the two gaging
stations in this reach---at Palominas and at Charleston---are blocked by riparian
vegetation, which is significant because the original photographs were taken
to document channel conditions as part of gaging station operation and as
such allowed unobstructed views of the river bed and flood plain.
