Stream Stewardship; Trail Stewardship
Flagstaff Community Labyrinth is the Stream Steward for the segment of the Sinclair Wash Trail that starts at Lone Tree Road and continues eastward for a half-mile. Stream Stewards kill the 3 worst invasive plant species (Siberian elm, Scotch thistle, and knapweed) from the stream to the rim of the canyon. The 2020 there were about 20,000 thistles and knapweeds (mostly thistles) in this half-mile. During 2021-2023, it took more than 150 person hours to kill 100% of the Scotch thistles and knapweeds rim-to-rim. In 2024, the last 200 thistles (all small) were ripped out in less than 3 hours. It'll take about 2 hours per year "forever" to keep this half-mile free of thistles and knapweeds. That's progress!
Killing Siberian elms is MUCH harder. During 2021-2023, it took about 100 person hours to kill most (but not all) of the 190 elms in this half-mile. It'll take many more hours in 2024 & 2025 to kill them all. By 2025, Sinclair Wash from Lone Tree Road to I-40 should be the most beautiful and weed-free stream mile in Flagstaff. Enjoy it. Once we get there, keeping it elm-free will take about 2-hours per year.If you have a half-mile of stream you want make weed-free, go here become a Stream Steward.
From 2013 thru 2023, the Flagstaff Community Labyrinth was also the Trail Steward for this same half-mile segment. In 2024, REI Flagstaff (3 blocks north) became the trail steward. The labyrinth was happy to pass the torch. Being a Trail Steward involves picking up trash along the Trail several times per year. It is 100 times easier than being a Stream Steward. Sign up at the City of Flagstaff Trail Stewards website.
If you want to help without signing up to be an official steward, bring work gloves and a trash bag when you walk a trail or stream. You can ask friends to join you. It is a fine opportunity to act on your love for the land, our community, and our wonderful trail and stream systems.
To help create new stewardship opportunities, join Friends of the Rio de Flag or Friends of Flagstaff's Future.
In this photo, a spring flood covers the trail. Floods deposit more trash than they remove.
Other "trash" - old bricks near the labyrinth
You will find lots of old bricks near the labyrinth. Many of the bricks have melted, or have glassy slag adhering to them, showing that these were “firebricks” used in furnaces, kilns, or chimneys.
At least 5 identifying names are embossed on the bricks. You may find more names. In order of abundance of marked bricks, the companies are: (1) H&W or HWRC: Harbison Walker Refractory Company (founded 1875, still has US factories). (2) Laclede Fire Brick Company, St Louis (operated 1854-early 1970s). (3) “ATLAS” probably Atlas Brick of Hudson NY (1910-1935+), but other brick companies have this same name. (4) Denver Fire Brick Company (1880-1935+) (5) Gallup Fire Brick Company (1926-circa 1970). (Other) Some stamps start “PCMC..” “PS…/ACO…” or end with “…MCO” or are “GRADE 71” which may indicate other brick-makers. Based on dates the factories operated, and when Flagstaff was settled, most bricks were manufactured between 1880 and 1950.
Because bricks came from at least 5 factories, they likely came from at least 5 furnaces, kilns, or chimneys in Flagstaff. This suggests that people dumped their old fireplaces and chimneys here when their houses were demolished or renovated.
In this semi-natural area the bricks are trash. You can take some bricks to a place where you can appreciate their beauty and history, but you should be aware that many of these bricks contain asbestos which, until about 1960, was added to most firebricks to make them strong at high temperature. You won’t get asbestos poisoning from being near or touching intact bricks, but when asbestos bricks crumble, they can release asbestos into the air. Breathing asbestos fibers can cause serious diseases, including cancer.