Abstract
Hungry Valley, and arid basin situated within the Transverse Ranges of Southern California, has been utilized by off-road vehicles (ORVs) since 1971. Loss of vegetation, severe soil erosion and gullying, alluvial fan formation, and increased sediment discharge are the direct results of ORV activity in the valley. These hydrologic-geologic effects have been documented and monitored utilizing sequential aerial photographs, ground surveys, and sediment transport measurements. Despite the increased usage of ORVs on public lands, and the well-documented short-term physical environmental impacts, little data exists on erosion or sediment transport rates in disturbed vs. adjacent undisturbed areas, the ability of natural vegetation to re-establish itself, or the feasibility of site rehabilitation techniques or methods.
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Griggs, G.B., Walsh, B.L. The impact, control, and mitigation of off-road vehicle activity in Hungry Valley, California. Geo 3, 229–243 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02473507
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02473507