Where there’s tamarisk (aka salt cedar/saltcedar), there’s usually water (even if it’s mostly underground). Unfortunately, tamarisk is massively invasive and, with its ginormous taproot, sucks up horrible amounts of water. In the West, where we’re always worried about drought and lack of or limited water, tamarisk = bad. (Though I’ve read and heard that some bird species are starting to use tamarisk for nesting, making it … notasbad?)
Buttttttttt … add a pretty mesteño (Aiyanna), and the feathery leaves creates a sort of magical view at her beautiful self.
And yes, there was a lovely longish stretch of water there for the whole band.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 
What an absolutely gorgeous photo of lovely Aiyanna! And yes, tamarisk is a scourge on our desert landscapes but it is pretty and makes for an intriguing setting for your shot, TJ.
Years ago, the Missouri students eradicated a lot of tamarisk in parts of the basin during alternative spring breaks. The bad thing about tamarisk (any/all invasives?) is that they are, you know, invasive! And they come back. 😦 At least in many places, there are also seeps for the horses, so that’s good.
I know that all to well, TJ. We have three very stout tamarisk bushes on our land and we cut them to the ground regularly…and then back they come. They are tenacious!
And tamarisk is like mesquite and knapweed (all rhizomatous, and they put their own allelochemicals into the soil to kill off “competitors,” usually native plants): If you cut it *only*, it comes back worse. I forget the herbicide they’ve used here, but we cut it super low to the ground (for the horses’ sake) and then spray it with … argh, if I remember, I’ll let you know! … Garlon! That’s one, but there are others.
Lovely gal! Things can be pretty and not good at the same time!
So, unfortunately, true! Fortunately, Aiyanna is both beautiful and exceptionally good. 🙂
Wh
🙂