HARTMAN MULTIMEDIA
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HARTMAN MULTIMEDIA
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Mitchell Caverns While this reserve was created primarily for the caverns
in the area, it contains other interesting features.
Approximately half of the area is a modified Joshua tree woodland
covering the lower rocky slopes. Species
include Yucca brevifolia, Yucca baccata and Yucca schidigera.
Eleven Cactaceae have been identified in the area, including six species
of Opuntia. It is interesting to
note that seven species of ferns (Pteridaceae) have been observed within the
reserve. The higher elevations are pinyon woodlands, with the
pinyon, Pinus monophylla, the dominant species. Well over 200 species of plants
have been collected in the area. Of
note is the disjunct population of the canyon live oak, Quercus chrysolepis, and
the scrub oak, Quercus sp. Two rare
plants, Penstemon stephensii and Ayenia compacta, are found in the reserve. There is a variety of animal life, including an
occasional bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis. This
is one of the two known California sites of the regal ringneck snake, Diadophis
punctatus regalis. Fossil remains of
the late Pleistocene ground sloth, Nothrotherium sp., have been found in the
caverns. There are several caverns in the reserve; two, El Pakiva
and Tecopa, are open to the public; Winding Stair is open only to experienced
speleologists. The caverns developed in the lower portion of a thick sequence of
marine limestones dating to the The alignment of the caves in the limestone beds
suggests that they are all remnants of an early, single, long cave formed in the
thickest and most soluble beds. They
appear to have been formed below the water table when ground water saturated the
rocks to a level at least as high as the caves.
During the Pliocene the area had considerably more rainfall than at
present. This water, filtering
through humus, became slightly acidic, with a weak solution of carbonic acid,
which etched out the caverns. In
time, erosion of surrounding areas allowed the ground water to fall.
With the fall of the ground water, various dripwater features were
formed, such as stalactites, stalagmites, drip curtains and veneer. Today, with
the arid climate, no further development is taking place. Integrity: Two
caverns have been equipped with rails, stairs, etc.
There are campsites and some trails in the area, as well as several
roads. Use: Research,
educational, observational, light recreation. Ref: Emery,
K. O. and W. H. Easton. 1951.
Mitchell's Caverns, California. So.
Calif. Acad. Sci. Bull. No. 50, pp. 1 - 13. December 1976
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