Carrizo Plain National Monument
IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
Location:	California, USA
Nearest city:	Maricopa
Coordinates:	35°13′0″N, 119°52′0″W
Area:	180,000 acres (728 km²)
Established:	January 2001
Visitation:	(in )
Governing body:	BLM

The Carrizo Plain is a large enclosed plain, approximately 50 miles (80 km) long and up to 15 miles (24 km) across, in eastern San Luis Obispo County, California, U.S. It contains the 180,000 acre (728 km²) Carrizo Plain National Monument, and is the largest single native grassland remaining in California. The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... A Natural Monument is a natural/cultural feature which is of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities or cultural significance. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Image File history File links US_Locator_Blank. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Sacramento Los Angeles Area  - Total   - Width   - Length    - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 3rd 158,302 sq mi  410,000 km² 250 miles  400 km 770 miles  1,240 km 4. ... Maricopa is a city located in Kern County, California. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... US BLM logo The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers Americas public lands, totaling approximately 261 million surface acres (1,056,229. ... Location in the state of California Formed 1850 Seat San Luis Obispo Area  - Total  - Water 9,364 km² (3,616 mi²) 806 km² (311 mi²) 8. ... Motto: E pluribus unum (1789 to 1956) (Latin: Out of Many, One) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government • President • Vice President Federal Republic George... An Inner Mongolian Grassland. ...

The plain extends northeast from the town of Maricopa, following the San Andreas Fault. Bordering the plain to the northeast is the Temblor Range, on the other side of which is the large Central Valley of California; and bordering the plain to the southwest is the Caliente Range. The community of California Valley is on the northern part of the plain. The average elevation of the plain is about 700 m (2200 feet). Soda Lake, a 3000 acre (12 km²) alkaline lake, is in the center of the plain, receiving all runoff from both sides, since the plain is an enclosed basin. Maricopa is a city located in Kern County, California. ... View of the San Andreas Fault on the Carrizo Plain in central California San Andreas Fault is a geological fault that spans a length of roughly 800 miles (1287 kilometres) through California, United States. ... The Temblor Range lies at the southwestern end of the San Joaquin Valley in California in the United States. ... The California Central Valley Part of the Valley as seen from overhead A typical Central Valley scene at ground level The California Central Valley is a large, flat valley that dominates the central portion of the state of California. ... Home to the highest peak in San Luis Obispo County, the 1556 meter (5106 foot) Caliente Peak, the Caliente Range is a west-east trending zone of uplift along the Pacific Coast Ranges. ... California Valley is an unincorporated community located in the eastern part of San Luis Obispo County, California. ...

The Carrizo Plain is one of the easiest places to see the San Andreas Fault, which is clearly visible along the eastern side of the plain, at the foot of the Temblor Range. It is best seen in early morning and evening light, when shadows make the topography visible. The plain is also famous for its spring wildflower displays, especially in wetter-than-average years.

Land management of the Carrizo Plain is a joint project between the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the Nature Conservancy, which owns much of the land. One of the current range management projects involves removing non-native grasses by selective cattle grazing early in the season (when non-native plants first emerge). Later in the season, the cattle are removed; native plants then have a competitive advantage versus the non-native and invasive vegetation. Wildlife of the Carrizo includes the San Joaquin Kit Fox, and reintroduced Tule Elk and Pronghorns. The Le Conte's Thrasher of the hot, desert southwest, has a disjunct north range in the Carrizo Plain because of its hotter climate, and ecology. US BLM logo The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers Americas public lands, totaling approximately 261 million surface acres (1,056,229. ... The Nature Conservancy is an environmental organization, founded in 1951. ... Binomial name Toxostoma lecontei (Lawrence, 1851) The Le Contes Thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei) is a pale bird found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. ...

California Highway 166 passes the south entrance to the Carrizo Plain, and California Highway 58 crosses through the northern portion. Connecting them, and the only dependably passable road through the plain itself, is narrow Soda Lake Road, which is gravel for much of its extent.

Carrizo Plain, looking southeast from near Soda Lake. Poppies and lupine in the foreground

Carrizo Plain, looking northeast from Caliente foothills. Elkhorn Scarp and San Andreas Fault visible in the distance, below the Temblor Range

The main north-south road, Soda Lake Rd., is only partly paved and can be unusable in wet weather.

About 25 shy Pronghorn Antelope hang out in the Monument.

Image File history File links Carrizo Plain, March 30, 2003, showing distinctive California poppies and lupine in foreground. ... Image File history File links Carrizo Plain, March 30, 2003, showing distinctive California poppies and lupine in foreground. ... Image File history File links Carrizo Plain. ... Image File history File links Carrizo Plain. ...

External links

• Carrizo Plain National Monument Official BLM Website
• Carrizo Plain, Sierra Club
• The Friends of the Carrizo Plain