Arizona Wildlife Conservation Strategy

Leslie Canyon NWR COA

Leslie Canyon was designated a National Wildlife Refuge to help preserve two fish species native to the Río Yaqui watershed, including the Yaqui chub and Yaqui topminnow which occur at several ponds at the refuge. The canyon is also home to a unique velvet ash-black walnut-cottonwood forest. This rich mosaic of habitats, which also includes springs and wetlands, make this an important stopover and breeding area for more than 200 birds species. Expanding nearby agricultural activities and a drying climate threaten the Canyon's unique and delicate aquatic habitats.

Conservation Goals

  • Increase connectivity to other mountain ranges and significant wildland blocks.
  • Identify and conserve areas known as stopover and breeding habitats for migratory birds and support their full life-cycle conservation through international collaborations that address threats to their migration and wintering habitats in Mexico, Central America, and beyond.
  • Collaborate with other partners to continue to augment populations of native fish, including Yaqui chub and Yaqui topminnow.
  • Acquire conservation lands surrounding the Refuge to protect core habitats.

Map

Primary Threats

1. Agriculture

1.3: Livestock farming and ranching

3. Climate Change and Severe Weather

3.1: Habitat shifting and alteration
3.2: Droughts
3.3: Temperature extremes

8. Invasive and Other Problematic Species

8.1: Invasive non-native species

Potential Conservation Actions

1. Land and Water Protection

1.2: Resource and habitat protection
  • Develop conservation easements on public or private lands in order to maintain and protect wildlife corridors and buffer quality wildlife habitat and expand area of the NWR.

2. Land and Water Management

2.1: Site/area management
  • Conserve or improve areas for migratory birds identified as important habitats during any part of their annual life cycle (breeding, stopover, or wintering).
  • Improve protections of existing aquatic habitats to preserve native fish populations and other aquatic species.
2.3: Habitat and natural process restoration
  • Increase connectivity by removing barriers and impediments to species movement. Modify pasture and boundary fences to meet wildlife-friendly criteria to allow safe wildlife movement or provide wildlife crossing structures to minimize wildlife/vehicle collisions.

7. External Capacity Building

7.2: Alliance and partnership development
  • Forming and providing support for partnerships and alliances to promote information sharing, learning, and collaboration.

3. Species Management

3.4: Ex situ conservation
  • Expand reintroduction efforts of native fish species and create refugia to build climate resiliency.

Habitats Present

Strategy Species

Amphibians

Chiricahua Leopard Frog

Birds

Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Western Burrowing Owl, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Ferruginous Hawk, Golden Eagle, Greater Roadrunner, MacGillivray's Warbler, Montezuma Quail, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Prairie Falcon, Painted Redstart, American Kestrel, Harris's Hawk, Lucifer Hummingbird

Fish

Yaqui Chub, Yaqui Topminnow

Invertebrates

Leslie Canyon Talussnail

Mammals

Mexican Gray Wolf, Pale Townsend's Big-eared Bat, Hispid Cotton Rat, Mexican Free-tailed Bat, Jaguar

Reptiles

Gila Monster, Black-necked Gartersnake, Sonoran Coralsnake

Protected Areas and Other Areas of Conservation Value

  • Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge
  • Chiracahua Wilderness

Potential Partners

  • US Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Borderlands Restoration Network
  • Malpais Borderlands Group
  • Sky Island Alliance
  • Sonoran Joint Venture
  • The Nature Conservancy

Relevant Conservation Plans

Associated Aquatic COAs

  • No associated Aquatic COAs