Desert Invasion - U.S.Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge |
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The 2770-acre Leslie Canyon area was established in 1988 to protect habitat for the endangered Yaqui chub (Gila purpurea) and Yaqui topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis sonorensis). The refuge also protects a rare velvet ash-cottonwood-black willow gallery forest. Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge is located 16 miles north of Douglas, Arizona, in Cochise County at the southern end of the Swisshelm mountains. Topography of the Leslie Canyon refuge is rough moutainous terrain dominated by shrubs and desert grasses such as sideoats grama, sandpaper bush, ocotillo and beargrass. Running through the middle of the refuge is Leslie Creek with its valuable riparian habitat and gallery forest. Dominant plant communities of uplands are Chihuahuan desert scrub and desert grassland, while bottomlands are primarily mesquite bosque and fallow fields. These arid habitats contrast well with artesian wells and seeps that create small areas of riparian forest and woodland, riparian scrub, marshlands, and aquatic habitats. Over 270 species of birds can be seen at San Bernardino NWR, including great blue heron, green-backed heron, Virginia rail, ringneck duck, Mexican duck, sandhill crane, magnificent hummingbird, Costa's hummingbird, yellow warbler, blue grosbeak, phainopeplas, white-crowned sparrows, and Gila woodpeckers. Raptors include gray hawk, zone-tailed hawk, golden eagle, Swainson's hawk, kestrel, sharp-shinned hawk, and peregrine falcon. Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge supports many mammals, including mule deer, whitetail deer, javelina, mountain lion, raccoon, coyote, bobcat, gray fox, antelope ground squirrel, badger, jackrabbit, cottontail rabbit, kangaroo rat, and coatimundi. Additional informationU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service page on San Bernardino and Leslie Canyon National Wildlife RefugesU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service page on San Bernardino and Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuges USGS Bird Checklists GORP information Also see San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge |
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