Below the dam is more moisture. Plants not always associated with drier regions, such as these large willows, are provided the opportunity to succeed. The trees were probably planted by early ranchers, perhaps for the purpose of shading their cattle and water troughs.
When water is high behind the dam, increased amounts of seepage allow cattails to thrive. Other plants, like saltbush, sprout along the wash edge, where runoff and evaporation produce a more alkaline soil. In wet years red-spotted toads, their tadpoles, and many insects take advantage of puddles below the dam.
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Willow and cattails behind dam