Cactus Plain is a

plain In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands ...

east of the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid drainage basin, watershed that encompasses parts of ...

and

Parker Valley The Parker Valley is located along the Lower Colorado River within the Lower Colorado River Valley region, in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California. Its natural habitats are within the Sonoran Desert (Arizona) and Colorado Desert (Ca ...

, in

La Paz County La Paz County is the 15th county in the U.S. state of Arizona, located in the western part of the state. As of the 2020 census, its population was 16,557, making it the second-least populous county in Arizona. The county seat is Parker. Th ...

, western

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, United States.

Geography

Cactus Plain is a landform within the Lower Colorado River Valley. It is adjacent to

Bouse Wash Bouse Wash is one of the larger eastern-bank dry washes that enter the Colorado River in the Lower Colorado River Valley. It is located in La Paz County, extreme western Arizona. Geography Bouse Wash is located on the north rim of the La Posa P ...

, which is on the south. The wash drains northwest-west into the

Protected areas

Recreation activities in both protected areas includes

backpacking Backpacking may refer to: * Backpacking (travel), low-cost, independent, international travel * Backpacking (hiking), trekking and camping overnight in the wilderness * Ultralight backpacking, a style of wilderness backpacking with an emphasis on ...

, day hiking, sightseeing,

horseback riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

, photography, and botanical and

wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animal species (biology), species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous ...

study.

Cactus Plain Wilderness Study Area

The Cactus Plain Wilderness Study Area protects the western two-thirds of the Cactus Plain, managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It is southeast of

Parker Parker may refer to: Persons * Parker (given name) * Parker (surname) Places Place names in the United States *Parker, Arizona *Parker, Colorado * Parker, Florida * Parker, Idaho * Parker, Kansas * Parker, Missouri * Parker, North Carolina *Park ...

, and north of

Bouse Bouse ( ''rhymes with "house"'') is a census-designated place (CDP) and ghost town in La Paz County, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1908 as a mining camp, the economy of Bouse is now based on tourism, agriculture, and retirees. The populati ...

. The wilderness study area is an immense open area of stabilized and semi-stabilized

sand dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

s, unique in western Arizona. Recreation activities include backpacking, day hiking, sightseeing, horseback riding, and botanical and wildlife study.

East Cactus Plain Wilderness

The

East Cactus Plain Wilderness The East Cactus Plain Wilderness is a wilderness area on the Cactus Plain north of Bouse, Arizona. It is one of twenty-five wilderness areas located in the Lower Colorado River Valley region, south of Lake Mead–Hoover Dam. It is administered ...

area protects the eastern third of the Cactus Plain, managed by the BLM. It is north of Bouse. It is predominantly a complex crescent dune, with dense dune–scrub vegetation, known only from this area in Arizona. The

plant community A plant community is a collection or association of plant species within a designated geographical unit, which forms a relatively uniform patch, distinguishable from neighboring patches of different vegetation types. The components of each plant co ...

is unique in its denseness and

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

species diversity.

References

External links