a Baca landowner
writes of his passion
for the land
"I am writing of behalf of the Oxbow Wetland section of the historic South Branch watercourse of Spanish Creek. Lorain and I have lived on the south side of the stream bed among a magnificent stand or community of Narrow-leaf cottonwood trees many of which rise some 80 feet above the valley floor. We have written to the Baca Ranch annually to request a flow of water and have received water whenever the snowfall permitted. 1999 was the only year we did not have enough runoff to permit a flow.
"We purchased our home an 3 acres in 1993. We quickly realized this place is a sanctuary for all kinds of wildlife. We then purchased and consolidated three more lots to preserve this santuario from development. Water was flowing in the stream when we initially came here. Water slowly flows through the thousands of cottonwoods living here. They drink deeply as water percolates into the aquifer and the trees and grasses feed multitudes of critters including elk, deer, antelope, coyote, fox, porcupine, raccoon, weasel, rabbits, black bear, moles, voles, kangaroo rats, jumping mice, chipmunks shrews, pack rats, pica and field mice, of course. An elk herd of more than 150 head migrate through here, year round, mostly at night, and have been observed calving in these trees and grasslands.
"There are many kinds of grasses in this place that we do not see elsewhere. This wet land has an abundance of toads, garter snakes and an occasional salamander. When the water flows frogs appear overnight and they serenade one another all night. Dragonflies of all sizes and colors appear, too. And birds, oh the birds! Migratory and permanent residents are here. Mated Ravens base out of these trees, a tribe of eleven magpies patrols the area year round along with white breasted nuthatch, downy woodpeckers, red shafted flickers, black capped and mountain chickadees, American goldfinch, pine siskins, tree sparrows, gray headed juncos and a community of some 70n red-winged blackbirds feed and sing here in winter months. About 40 pinion jays stop here on their morning and afternoon migrations into the valley floor.
"In the spring our permanent residents greet mountain bluebirds, robins, meadow larks, horned larks, house finches, mourning doves, green tailed towhees, house wrens, berwick wrens lark sparrows, white crowned sparrows, scarlet tanagers, orange crowned warblers, white throated swifts, tree swallows, bank swallows, barn swallows, common nighthawks, Rufus and broadtailed hummingbirds abound. Flowing water also brings Canada geese, mallards and occasional dippers. This is an oasis, a cienega, when the water comes. Historically, the ranch has generously diverted water to these trees. Without a seasonal flow this wetland quickly parches in the desert sun and wind, but with seasonal flows the aquifer replenishes to feed all who live and visit here.
"All of these birds pay respects to the raptors who use these trees; coopers hawks, roughlegged hawks, swainsons, ferruginous and red tailed hawks, prairie falcons, marsh hawks, golden and bald eagles. Everyone gives way to the American Kestrels (Sparrow Hawk) that ferociously guard their nest high above our home. Our bird population diminishes while these tenacious fliers teach their young the ways of the wind. We have been treated to this spectacle for eight years as they run off intruders daring to approach their airspace. At night a mated pair of great horned owls hang around and serenade and woo one another. A pair of long eared owls moved in just two years ago to stand tall and glide silently and stealthily toward their prey.
 "We quickly realized this place is a sanctuary for all kinds of wildlife. We then purchased and consolidated three more lots to preserve this santuario from development."
"In 1995, Bonnie Colby, Ph.D., a professor of Hydrology at the University of Arizona, Tucson, was visiting and marveled at this rare and wonderful habitat of narrow-leaf cottonwoods, stating that most of these ecosystems had been destroyed by development in Arizona. These trees are dependent upon snow, runoff, diversion and rain to maintain life and support other life-forms in this alpine desert. There aren’t any artesian flows upstream to replenish this or any other stand of trees downstream. This stand is situated about two and one-half miles southwest of the diversion below Wagon Wheel road. It starts on the north at Heatherbrae road and meanders southwesterly for about one-half mile where this forest ends and the stream continues another one-half mile to the next stand of trees. This community of cottonwoods is the largest stand on the diversion and is arbitrarily cut in half by Camino Real. The northeast half of the stand is separated on the map as being part of the Oxbow upland section, however that is separated only in name not as an ecosystem and that needs the same attention as the Wetlands parcels. At some time in its ranching and diversion process, the Baca Grant Ranch built an earthen dam at the southwest end of this stand to hold water about six feet deep. Beyond this it is grassy, meandering marsh and stream with skeletons of large old fallen trees from an earlier time that suggests this stand was wetter and larger historically.
"We are interested in and willing to grant a conservation easement to insure waters to flow here in perpetuity. Without that flow this rich and rare habitat will surely dry up and blow away. It has already diminished in size and scope since we moved here. We will gladly do whatever we can on behalf of this watershed to preserve it for future generations of flora and fauna as well as the enjoyment of the two-leggeds who see and feel so much peace, beauty and silence here."
signed, David Davis |
