<<Previous Picture	Stake 1139 - Furnace Townsite April 17, 1998	Picture Index>>
Dominic Oldershaw
The dirt road was abandoned sometime shortly after the 1984 photograph was taken. The amelioration of soil compaction in this road is surprisingly large given that it has been abandoned for a little over 10 years; the townsite and main street adjacent to the townsite also are significantly compacted but are approaching levels in the surrounding undisturbed desert. Many of the plants are still alive and much larger, particularly the Larrea in the background, but most of the Achnotherum are dead. The death of short-lived perennials probably resulted from the 1989 drought. Sphaeralcea is now uncommon, another probable result of the drought. (Dominic Oldershaw)