Water seeps out of the rock along distinct horizontal lines which delineate where the red, porous Navajo Sandstone meets the whiter, less permeable Kayenta Formation just below it. Ýview The water carries with it minerals, which stains the rock it flows over. Arches and curved amphi-theaters have fallen out of the sandstone, revealing how the rock erodes as a result of the water constantly flowing through it. The water also provides nourishment for the various grasses, mosses and wildflowers that compose the ‘hanging gardens,’ growing out of cracks in the moist stone. 
Ýview This riparian habitat supports many plants (and animals) that would not survive in the more arid desert environment of other portions of the lower canyon, such as canyon tree frogs and porcupines.    0 220 2 84