USA 2010-II - Eastern Utah
We saw hectares of all burnt forests along the road to the northern rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona. Forest fires are a common image in the middle west of the US. That is due to the extreme dry climate and frequent strong winds. A rather flat topology south of the Rocky Mountains facilitate the creation of strong winds.
On our way back we encountered a large herd of Bisons, Bison bison, grazing the meadows along the road. Park offcials claim that the herd unexpectedly wandered in. The bisons may have a negative impact in the floral ecosystem. Overgrazing may alter floral species composition. Hence, park officials investigating a removal of the herd from the National Park.
Our fishing spot EW-USA 10-10 featured a salmonid mid water level species composition. It is a typical salmonid water; swift current, clear, cold, gravel bottom.
The stream is called Asay Creek and is a tributary of the Green River, which is in turn a tributary of the Colorado River.
The cisco Coregonus clupeaformis spread into the Green River basin. It naturally occurrs in the Great Lakes, northern part of the US.
This fish is in high demand since its flesh is delicious.
The Brown Trout, Salmo trutta, caught in EW-USA 10-10 is an introduced species much detrimental to the native salmonid fauna. Autochthonous salmonids are already extirbated from plenty of streams, numbers are declining. Brown Trouts have been introduced for recreational purpose.
A Plateau Lizard resting on a stump. Sceloporus tristichus is frequent in NE Utah. picture was taken in Emery County.
