Patterns in Shoreline Vegetation and Soils Around Lake Mohave, Nevada and Arizona: Implications for Management

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Lake Mohave, on the lower Colorado River in Nevada and Arizona, was created by the construction of Davis Dam for power generation, flood control, and water supply. Management has led to the periodic lowering of the water level of the reservoir (drawdown), such that it reveals a gradient of zones around the margins of the reservoir that range from frequently inundated to frequently dry. The initial filling of Lake Mohave flooded the preexisting native riparian woodlands of Populus-Salix (cottonwood-willow), creating a new shoreline and plant community. We analyzed the spatial distribution of the plant species that dominate the plant community (i.e., native Salix gooddingii C.R. Ball [Goodding's willow] and nonindigenous Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb. [saltcedar]) and the soil components to discern patterns. Data analyses and modeling indicate that there are 3 emergent patterns in the distribution and composition of vegetation and soils. First, even though both S. gooddingii and T. ramosissima were pr...