| Nature Trail > Joshua Tree National Park > Barker Dam |
|
| features - ecology: wildlife - plants - places - region map - map/sat - roads & trails - wilderness - video - aerial - 360 - old west - communities - books - lodging - |
| route 66 - ghost towns - gold mines - parks & ... - joshua tree - death valley - mojave preserve - native culture - history - natural features - geology - glossary - |
|
Barker Dam In the early 1900's, ranchers, needing water for their stock, searched for ways to supplement natural water sources. They dug wells, improved springs, and expanded natural catch basins in drainages of canyons and rock formations by building small dams. This area began as a natural tank, a catch basin for rainfall and runoff. It was expanded into a dam by the Barker & Shay Cattle Company, and still later enlarged by Bill Keys, owner of the Desert Queen Ranch. A pipeline once carried water to the cattle trough in the wash behind the dam. Cattle ranching in this area was a short-lived effort. When the rainfall decreased, grasses declined and many springs dried up. Cattle raising moved farther west to greener pastures. Today Barker Dam is a reminder of the past, its waters reflecting only the brown rocks and blue skies of the desert. It is a quiet place in a noisy world and a precious watering hole for desert animals and migrating birds. < Previous - Next > |
click the photo to continue
 Barker Dam at high water mark |
|
Wrightwood Real Estate MOUNTAIN HOMES & CABINS Vacation Rentals & Homes for Sale |
Log Cabin Furnishings Lodgepole Pine Log Furniture Rustic Decor & Silhouette Metal Art |
HighDesertRED.com High Desert Real Estate Directory -- |
|
Digital-Desert Abraxas Engineering privacy |
Copyright ©Walter Feller. All rights reserved. Respect U.S and international copyright statutes and our right to own and control our work - DO NOT LINK TO THESE IMAGES FROM WEB PAGES, FORUMS OR BLOGS - |
Desert Gazette |