Navajo Canyon is bounded on the east by Del Cerro and on the west by Allied Gardens.
The canyon encompasses nearly 141 acres with an out-and-back 1.25 hiking trail miles from Mound Avenue to Adobe Falls Road. It was once designated for continuation of Navajo Road to then Highway 80, but luckily it was decided that Waring Road was a more attractive route. The terrain was not then suitable for profitable development so the area was zoned to City Open Space and the canyon was saved to be part of the 200+ canyons that are a reminder of San Diego as it was 250 years ago.
Saved, but abused.
Abused by adjacent development as a convenient dumping ground. Saved, but without consideration of the potential of an ecological treasure. Due to the close proximity to large communities and urban development, invasive species have moved in, plants that have been brought by humans from other regions of the world and outcompete the native flora.
In that last regard the major invasive species in Navajo Canyon are Mexican fan palms, Canary Island date palms, mustard, ice plant, fennel, and castor bean. All of these plants outcompete the native plants for critical resources such as space and water. These invasive plants have no natural enemies. They grow and proliferate unchecked, unchecked except by human hands.
The native flora and fauna are in the coastal sage scrub plant and chaparral plant families. Many of these plants are rare and threatened as their habitat continues to decline. Restoration efforts are needed to maintain the coastal prickly pear cactus populations to provide nesting habitat for the cactus wren to name one of many. The canyons are the final refuge for the native plants and wildlife of San Diego.
Many people love palm trees and the signature look they bring to our city, but those in the canyon, the Mexican Fan Palms and Canary Island Date Palms, are serious competitors for water. They do not fit into this fragile ecology.
In recognition of the value of the canyon in a natural state the San Diego Canyonlands, a local nonprofit dedicated to restoring the canyons, obtained a grant of $600,000 from the San Diego River Conservancy to remove the invasive palm trees. The grant will also support habitat rehabilitation and trail maintenance. The palm trees will be removed via helicopter, thereby avoiding damage to the delicate landscape and not requiring to build a road to haul out the trees, which would be greatly degrading to the canyon ecology. As gratifying as this public investment is, it is only a minor part of what must be done.
San Diego Canyonlands and Friends of Navajo Canyon work in the canyon every third Saturday between 9 a.m. and Noon from either the trail head near Easton Court or from Adobe Falls Road. The most recent event last month will give you an idea of the day’s activities.
Teams from Patrick Henry High School Environmental Club and Key Club, by far the largest component of the person-power at work that day, and folks from our local communities, over two dozen in all, assembled at the Easton Court trailhead.
Kindra Hixon, outreach manager for San Diego Canyonlands, led them on a hike from Easton Court to the Mound Avenue trailhead where the trash receptacle is located. She showed us the plants and the traces of the animals that make up the flora and fauna. She laid out the day’s work, the physically demanding removal of invasive ice plant that was working its way down from adjacent residences, of castor bean plants, of horehound bushes, and of other invasive species that, if left unchecked, will continue replacing the native plants.
The results are best understood from the before and after pictures of one of the areas they cleared. The crew removed more than 300 pounds of invasive material that cleared the way for native plantings. You can see how much more must be taken out.
The Friends of Navajo Canyon under the guidance of Kim Morris will also host family-friendly events such as bird watching and interpretive hikes to learn about native species in the canyon and will continue its trash removal efforts at Adobe Falls Road and Alvarado Canyon Road.
That was the long, slow curve. Now for the fast break.
The canyon is huge. It will take decades of hard work to realize the goal of a natural environment. And even then it will take constant attention to preserve what has been gained. Navajo Canyon must be thought of as a generational endeavor. The hard work can only be done on our hands and knees with garden tools and trash bags.
Begin now by registering with San Diego Canyonlands at https://www.sdcanyonlands.org/ and with Friends of Navajo Canyon at http://www.aggccouncil.org/friendsofnavajocanyon.html. Join the team every third Saturday. Navajo Canyon needs you.
Editor’s note: Article and photos courtesy of Shain Haug, Kindra Hixon and Kim Morris.
