Seth Arens studying plant life in 50 Mile Creek, 100 feet below high water.
Seth Arens is an ecologist and climate scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He accompanied Balken on the trip. He said while the ecosystems aren’t exactly the same as they once were, because of the sediment left behind by the lake, life is returning to the canyon at a rapid pace.
“In a desert environment, where we think of things being slow to grow, the speed at which ecosystems are reestablishing in these areas is pretty remarkable,” Arens said.
He said the return of native ecosystems raises an interesting question: Should the dry parts of the canyon be actively managed, or should they continue to be treated like the bottom of a water tank?