Boucher, Topaz, and Slate Canyon Tamarisk Control: March 24-31 , 2010
Overview
The Grand Canyon Backcountry Vegetation Crew has been completing tamarisk and other non-native plant control work as part of the Tamarisk Management and Tributary Restoration Project. As we enter the cyclic maintenance phase of tamarisk control in Grand Canyon 's tributaries, we have fewer trees to kill yet lots of ground to cover. Tamarisk is an exotic tree that aggressively invades native riparian habitat and undermines the integrity and function of ecosystems. Preventing the spread of exotic plant species is now considered to be one of the most important issues facing natural resource managers across the nation.
Help Grand Canyon protect its natural resources and fight tamarisk invasion within inner canyon tributaries! Come along on a hardy backpack trip into a remote area of Grand Canyon down the Boucher Trail to control tamarisk. We will use handsaws and a dose of grit to rid these invaders from Grand Canyon 's remote side canyons.
Click here for more information.
Itinerary
| Day 1 | Meet at South Rim Backcountry Office at 8:30 am, distribute food/group gear, drive out to trailhead and hike down Boucher Trail (10 miles, ~ 4,600 ft elevation loss). Camp at Boucher use area. |
|---|---|
| Day 2 | Tamarisk control Boucher Canyon (3-5 miles) |
| Day 3 | Tamarisk control Boucher Canyon (3-5 miles) |
| Day 4 | Hike to Topaz, Tamarisk control Topaz Canyon (5-7 miles) |
| Day 5 | Hike to Slate Creek Canyon , Tamarisk control Slate Creek Canyon (7-10 miles) |
| Day 6 | Tamarisk control Slate Creek Canyon (3-5 miles) |
| Day 7 | Hike to Boucher use area (7 miles) |
| Day 8 | Hike out Boucher Trail to South Rim and Drive to Flagstaff (10 miles, ~ 4,600 ft elevation gain) |


