They've been cutting down the historic shade trees that lined Cotton Lane in the far west valley, probably in anticipation of widening the road. More of authentic Phoenix…gone. Thanks to Joe Velasquez for the photo.
More destruction…
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How old are these trees?Having been in valley 53 years it seems there are many others that deserve saving.
https://waddellhistory.wordpress.com/2013/06/01/eucalyptus-trees-on-cotton-lane/
303 is a continuation of ADOT’s keeping the brethern in $$$$.
I am Cal, the guy that wants MORE roadless wilderness.
I remember those well, but those trees aren’t anywhere near Phoenix. They were west of Goodyear, a couple of miles due north across I-10 of the abandoned trotting park. I live in what used to be “Rancho Sunora” but is now an outer part of Sundance near Watson and Yuma roads near Buckeye and Cotton Lane is within spitting distance from me.
I used to take Cotton Lane north (and, later, Cotton Lane to the 303 “intersection”) to Olive every time I went to Sun City or points east on Olive.
Those trees seemed downright mystical and it’s a damn shame they started yanking them out about 8-9 years ago. The town proper of Buckeye suffered the same fate in the early aughts when city officials ripped their eucalyptus trees out that were lining not only MC 85 as you headed into “downtown”, but all of them that lined the original US 80 (complete with its original 1920’s concrete slab road still intact through that stretch) from the east side of town through to the tight left curve of the original road that, again, still survives. A good 1/4 mile solid of trees there and about a 1/8 of a mile further in. Both stretches gone damn near overnight.
Oleanders, I can see ripping out wholesale (I’ll dropkick whoever is responsible for the idea of making those noxious things into yard borders), but those eucalyptus trees weren’t hurting anything or anyone. Now, all that’s left is a soccer field that nobody uses (and runs a fortune to irrigate) and a barren view of dust and unkempt farm soil to the north as you enter town on MC 85 from the east.
These days, you’d never have known something was ever there…..
Rumor has it that Denny and his Ford SW are doing Lateral work in the Gobi.
Try Rogue column, Phoenix Driving History
Trees growing in desert are usually precious, however Eucalyptus (Australian natives) are water suckers and not considered desirable anymore. At one time, these trees were thought to provide the scarce shade desert dwellers all crave and that was enough. But, their search for underground water cancelled out their value in that regard, especially when they competed with nearby crops.
Si, Dude.
Best tree is a Sajuaro.
Currently the Mesquites are bright Yellow.
And the Soil bankers and Canadians are gone.
Cities should think about trees as public-health infrastructure:
https://www.fastcompany.com/40474204/cities-should-think-about-trees-as-public-health-infrastructure?fbclid=IwAR16QBiUtlGHxqswAexd6OSjVkhh5FHnDFpjr3KEPk7PqUQkxuxMY2ecj1M
And here is a related article, LA-centric but certainly applicable to Phoenix, on shade as a civic resource:
https://placesjournal.org/article/shade-an-urban-design-mandate/
Also here is the idea that there is a sociology of shade — that is, if you’re a ten-percenter, you get it; if you aren’t, you don’t.
I can appreciate tall trees growing in the desert, far from buildings and not seeming to provide much purpose other than defying nature. I also generally value anything that survives for decades or more, just for its own sake. Losing those trees will make that desolate road less interesting.
Since leaving Arizona, one thing I realky like about my adopted home (Houston) is the trees. They are big and all over the place and don’t even require watering! What a revelation after many years of living where almost nothing green that doesn’t have spikes grows without watering.
People here think I’m weird because I like cloudy days. Bring on the gloom, I say, because years in AZ valuing every scarce cloud in the sky made me appreciate nature’s shade. Whether trees or clouds, anything that keeps the sun off my head is extremely welcome to me!
Stay there Jon 7190. I will recommend Houston to as many soil bankers and Canadians as possible. Its quiet here my corner of the desert. In the shade of huge Sajuaros occupied by Gila Woodpeckers and Starlings. And the Cactus Wrens and rabbitts frequenting my patio.
I believe Trees are really important and the planet needs more. Whats happening in the Amazon and other such places is tragic. The politicians in Arizona have given the go ahead to destroy more of the planet with the approval of building thousands of new houses by the San Pedro river near Benson, AZ. I spent Friday and Saturday cruising beneath the Mogollon Rim. Was good but i was happy to get back down in the valley where i could see for miles and with no tornados or huge drowning downpour storms on the Horizon.
PS
While in Payson some locals advised the Water issues are still unsolved yet people just keep coming to live there.
At the intersection of highways 87 and 260 U have your choice of two Starbucks
“I’ll tell you where I went wrong. The Faucet in the kitchen always becomes the reality we believe. The reality of resources being finite and expensive to acquire is a handwriting that has always been on the wall. Welcome to the future, the place that will make us face the experiences of our past.”
Introduction by Charles Bowden,
to the 5th printing edition of
Killing the Hidden Waters.
Can you hear the sucking up of groundwater?
From Jon,s Phoenix and Arizona pages, here’s whats happening around the Pinal County in the area where my house on wheels is currently parked.
https://www.azfamily.com/news/homes-businesses-at-risk-for-massive-damage-from-fissures-in/article_4dc91d42-6c32-11e9-8560-134834ac5e20.html
Maybe just maybe, when a giant fissure opens up on I 10 and swallows up about a 100 cars and trucks “they” will understand the consequences of sucking up all the groundwater to build more instant slums.
I doubt it though.
Jon 7190 its a great cloud day here in the Great Sonoran desert. Whats left of it.
I am a big believer in groundwater mindfulness. The CA Central Valley has sunk by more than 10 feet in some places in less than a century due to aquifer draw-down. People in the Midwest have been worrying about what’s happening to to Ogallala for decades.
I am not an anti-growth person, but I do believe we have the tools available to grow without recklessly depleting groundwater reserves. Determine the surface water available and let market forces price the resource accordingly rather than drawing down groundwater irresponsibly. I also believe the federal government as well as the states of California and neighboring states all should be invested in figuring out the Salton Sea for air quality reasons alone, not to mention wildlife impact.
Of course, the odds of that sort of approach happening are about zero.
Mark. Growth is the cancer killing the planet.
Cal the hunter/gatherer advocate.
I c Jared Diamond has a new book out
Jon 7190. Great cloud days here.
Hows your Floods?