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Abstract
The Babocomari River is a major tributary of the San Pedro River in Santa Cruz and Cochise counties, Arizona. This 140,000 acre catchment includes rolling grasslands on the Sonoita plain, oak woodlands in the Canelo Hills and the pine-oak forests of the northwestern Huachuca Mountains. The Babocomari River runs for 22 miles from its headwaters near Sonoita at 5000 feet elevation, eastward to join the San Pedro at Fairbanks at an elevation of 3850 feet. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that this important tributary contributes about 6000 acre- feet of water annually to the San Pedro River system. The Arizona Department of Water Resources funded this 5-year study with a grant (09-164WPF) in 2009. Monitoring transects were installed in 2009 and 2010 and will be re-read each year through 2013. Objectives: Construct 2 miles of riparian boundary fence to restrict access by livestock from the Babocomari River. Install six stream riparian vegetation and geomorphic monitoring transects and six vegetation and geomorphic transects on riparian grasslands (sacaton) on tributaries to the Babocomari River. Analyze and summarize data annually and present that information to the participating ranch properties for use in making management decisions. Riparian monitoring stations were established in May of 2010 at three locations along the Babocomari River below the Babocomari Ranch (BR) headquarters and at three locations in June of 2010 on the Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch (ARR) of the National Audubon Society. These riparian monitoring transects were re-read in June of 2011. Riparian grasslands include large bottomlands of giant sacaton (Sporobolus Wrightii Monro ex Scribn) on both the BR and the ARR. Riparian grassland monitoring stations (three on each property) were established in the fall of 2009, re-read in 2010 and 2011. In addition to this monitoring effort the Babocomari Ranch has begun to protect private lands along the Babocomari River by selling development rights and placing conservation easements on the land. The land on the Research Ranch is already protected from development.
Parent Publication
Keywords
Madrean Archipelago,
Sky Islands,
southwestern United States,
northern Mexico,
natural environment,
fauna,
flora,
research,
management,
biodiversity,
climate change
Citation
Robinett, Dan; Kennedy, Linda. 2013. Babocomari River Riparian Protection Project. In: Gottfried, Gerald J.; Ffolliott, Peter F.; Gebow, Brooke S.; Eskew, Lane G.; Collins, Loa C. Merging science and management in a rapidly changing world: Biodiversity and management of the Madrean Archipelago III and 7th Conference on Research and Resource Management in the Southwestern Deserts; 2012 May 1-5; Tucson, AZ. Proceedings. RMRS-P-67. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 490-492.
