Muleshoe Ranch Preserve
Lower San Pedro River Ecosystem
| The San Pedro River flows north from Mexico for 145 miles to the Gila River. One of The Nature Conservancy's "Last Great Places," the San Pedro ecosystem is a treasure trove of rare plants and animals. Half of all North American bird species use the River's cottonwood-willow forest for nesting, feeding, or as a migratory rest stop.
The River's watershed has diamonds of its own: east of the lower San Pedro lie the rugged Galiuro Mountains, steeped in history and arguably one of the most remote ranges in all of Arizona, despite its proximity to Tucson and Phoenix. The Galiuros, which rise to a height of 7,663 feet, are the heart of the 49,000 acre Muleshoe Ranch Cooperative Management Area (CMA). Straddling the transition from Sonoran to Chihuahuan desert, the Muleshoe Ranch CMA is owned and jointly managed by The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Its rugged uplands contrast sharply with the lush riparian areas lining Muleshoe Preserve's seven perennial streams, which offer some of the best remaining habitat in Arizona for native fish species like the Gila chub and speckled dace. Rare gray hawks, zone-tailed hawks, and black hawks nest along the streams. Bobcat, mountain lion, deer, and bighorn sheep roam the hills and canyons. Since purchasing the private fee land of Muleshoe in 1982, the Conservancy has worked to restore Muleshoe's semi-desert grasslands, which were seriously degraded by livestock grazing prior to Conservancy ownership. In June 1995, the Conservancy and the BLM completed the first large-scale prescribed burn of the grasslands -- 2,300 acres in the Wildcat Creek drainage." Controlled burning reduces shrub cover and undesirable species like shin dagger while stimulating the reestablishment and growth of native grasses and wildflowers. Restoring Muleshoe's desert grasslands with fire and rest from grazing improves watershed conditions and reduces erosion and siltation of streams -- an important boost for the native fish. Healthy, intact groundcover absorbs more moisture and releases runoff more slowly, enhancing perennial flows and moderating the deleterious effects of floods. Muleshoe Ranch Preserve is one of the Conservancy's centers for "community-based conservation." Our staff works with the Willcox Chamber of Commerce and the community of Cascabel to promote the area's potential for "ecotourism." Muleshoe itself is a model of successful ecotourism: its five casitas, available to Conservancy members and the public at large, generate $50,000 annually toward the preserve budget. We have also recently completed restoration of an historic structure at the Muleshoe headquarters to provide housing for interns and visiting scientists and serve as an interpretive visitor center. Muleshoe Ranch Cooperative Management Area is a textbook study of how private ranchers, government agencies, and a nonprofit conservation organization can work together to achieve many ends. Determining that 5,000 acres of the original ranch were suitable for moderate grazing, the Conservancy traded 320 acres and its interest in the associated 4,600-acre grazing lease in the early 1990's to local rancher Jack Hughes, in partial payment for the purchase of his riparian land on the San Pedro River. Muleshoe staff also work with other Conservancy staff and the Redington Natural Resources Conservation District in cooperative management of the lower San Pedro River. With its four staff members and active research and restoration program, Muleshoe Ranch will cost $124,000 this year to run. These are the real costs of the stream flow and fish monitoring, road and trail maintenance, fencing, visitor services, building improvements and maintenance, fire planning, and the myriad other programs that support this ecological treasure. We must raise $67,000 of this total in direct contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Because of the preserve's remote location, this is one of the most challenging of the Arizona Chapter's annual fund raising goals. The Arizona Chapter has also set a $1 million goal for Muleshoe's stewardship endowment. We are seeking large gifts of cash and real estate and bequests to meet this long-term need. Please consider a gift to help us ensure the future of this special place and its inhabitants. Contributions to The Nature Conservancy are tax-deductible. If you'd like more information about our projects or remembering the Muleshoe Ranch in your estate plans, please call Nancy Light in our Tucson office at (520) 622-3861. |
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