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Tucson Audubon Society
Now Available:
Upper Santa Cruz River Avian Habitat Plan
by Scott Wilbor, Arizona Important
Bird Areas Conservation Biologist
Contact Information: (520) 628-1730
Read about the plan below, or download the full plan here:
Upper Santa Cruz River Avian Habitat Plan, PDF file, 1,351 KB; requires Acrobat Reader
Upper Santa Cruz River Avian Habitat Plan, Microsoft Word file, 5,115 KB
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(This article was first published in the Vermilion Flycatcher, newsletter of the Tucson Audubon Society. To receive the newsletter in the mail, become a Friend of Tucson Audubon.)
Gray Hawks, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Varied Buntings, Tropical and Cassin’s Kingbirds, Vermilion and Brown-crested Flycatchers, White-faced Ibises, Great Blue and Green Herons, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Black Vultures, Swainson’s and Zone-tailed Hawks, Summer Tanagers, Yellow and Lucy’s Warblers, and Rufous-winged Sparrows—all occurring along an approximately 42-mile reach of river in Arizona? Perennial water for half of this distance? Only 40 miles from Tucson? Yes, we are talking about the extremely biologically rich Upper Santa Cruz River that wends north through Santa Cruz County from the U.S./Mexico border to Amado. No wonder the Upper Santa Cruz has been a focus of Tucson Audubon’s conservation programs, such as the new Esperanza conservation easement north of Tubac.
Tucson Audubon also leads Arizona’s Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program conservation efforts in southern Arizona. Since 2003 we have been developing an Avian Habitat Conservation Plan for the Upper Santa Cruz River Riparian Corridor in Santa Cruz County. In November we began releasing this Conservation Plan to key stakeholders along the river corridor, including officials and planners with Santa Cruz County, City of Nogales, Tubac, government and non-government agencies, resort managers, ranchers and developers.
The plan was developed by using a combination of methods, including field visits, consultations, and literature reviews as well as conversations with landowners. Biologists, hydrologists, park personnel, landowners, ranchers, resort managers, conservation specialists, and local environmental leaders were consulted.
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Our plan evaluated the historical and current conditions of the corridor, the stresses to avian species and key physical and vegetative components, sources of these stresses, and their consequences. Bird species are addressed throughout the plan in terms of "avian guilds" (groups of birds) associated with specific vegetation components. The plan puts forth management recommendations to both public agencies and private landowners, including recommendations for the protection of nesting-sensitive avian species. Additionally, the plan outlines a number of conservation strategies, and ranks priority sub-areas for their conservation value. A detailed conservation implementation plan is also provided. Lastly, a natural history information table for avian species is presented at the end of the report.
Ten major stresses were identified. As we reported in the October 2004 issue of the Vermilion Flycatcher, habitat loss due to vegetation clearing (primarily mesquite bosque) was identified as the primary stress the river and its birds are facing. Great expanses of mesquite bosque (mesquite, hackberry, ash, palo verde, elderberry, acacia), one of the rarest habitat types in Arizona, are being lost to expanding development from Tubac all along the river south to Rio Rico. The threat of additional old growth mesquite-bosque-clearing exists east of the river, particularly south and north of Tubac and Rio Rico respectively, where residential and commercial developments are expanding rapidly.
Large-scale tree die-off (and tree die-back) was ranked second in severity. This stress was first noticed in a small area in 2003, but has intensified dramatically over the last two years, primarily in the Rio Rico area and extending northward to Rancho Santa Cruz (a 9-mile stretch of river). The cause of this die-off involving many riparian tree species, but most notably cottonwood/willow, is still under investigation; an article appeared in the Arizona Daily Star (Sept. 15, 2005) detailing the magnitude of the issue. A committee of stakeholders and conservationists is attempting to further elucidate and reverse this stress. Tucson Audubon is a part of this group. Key factors being investigated include drought combined with increases in groundwater pumping; an algal mat causing prevention of groundwater recharge; insect outbreak; and disease/fungus infection.
Other identified stresses to the Santa Cruz River riparian corridor included: habitat loss along washes; habitat degradation due to cattle grazing in riparian habitat; water pollutants; invasive non-native animal and plant species; habitat degradation of understory, mid-story, and bunchgrass vegetation; trash; and clearing of understory/mid-story vegetation.
The reach of river from Tubac to Tumacacori was ranked highest in terms of conservation value, followed by the Rio Rico/Avatar properties, and the Guevavi to Santa Fe Ranch area northeast of Nogales.
An implementation plan emphasizes cooperation between the county and non-governmental groups; conservation purchases and easements of high-value conservation lands from interested landowners, and secure funding for their management; protection of riparian habitat from cattle grazing; habitat restoration; invasive species control; and cooperative projects among adjoining landowners.
Great challenges lay ahead of us to abate the stresses we have identified. We will work to facilitate the adoption of our management recommendations, promote our proposed conservation actions, and provide for the long-term conservation of our identified highest value lands. The health of the river, as well as the health and vitality of human communities, depends on a unified dedicated effort of many stakeholders along the river. Tucson Audubon and the Arizona IBA Program will work to make sure the unique assemblage of birds found along the Santa Cruz River and their endangered habitats are conserved, and that the communities of the region benefit as well! We will update you on our progress!
Upper Santa Cruz River Avian Habitat Plan, PDF file, 1,351 KB; requires Acrobat Reader
Upper Santa Cruz River Avian Habitat Plan, Microsoft Word file, 5,115 KB
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This page was updated on 03/22/06