Ranegras Plain | Arizona Wildlife Conservation Strategy

The Ranegras Plain runs in a southeast to northwest orientation and is bounded on the west and south by the Plomosa, New Water, and Little Horn Mountains; the north by the Bouse Hills, Little Harquahala Mountains, and Granite Wash Mountains; and the east by the Eagle Tail Mountains. Precipitation within the plain drains to Bouse Wash which runs northwest toward the Colorado River. Bouse Wash provides an important source of forage and nesting habitat, as well as serving as a movement corridor for area wildlife. Interstate-10 bisects the COA running east-west and the Central Arizona Project Canal runs along the east side of the plain from the north to the south side of Interstate 10 before turning east. A small portion of the plain south of I-10 falls within the jurisdiction of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. The eastern side of the plain between I-10 and Highway 60 is dominated by agricultural operations. South of the interstate, the plain is undeveloped creosote-bursage habitat but companies have recently shown interest in developing utility scale solar energy projects within the plain.

The plain is used for outdoor recreational activities such as hunting, wildlife viewing, and camping and provides habitat for desert mule deer and other game species. In addition, the portion of the plain south of the interstate provides habitat for Sonoran pronghorn within the 10J recovery area outside of the Kofa NWR allowing them to utilize suitable habitat to expand their range and numbers within the recovery area.

Conservation Goals

Maintain the Ranegras Plains as intact quality habitats that support a variety of SGCN.
Improve habitat connectivity across I-10 and maintain connectivity between adjacent open spaces.
Work with the renewable energy industry to plan and implement habitat improvement projects within the Ranegras Plain to improve wildlife resiliency if blocks of the habitat are developed.

Map

Primary Threats

3. Climate Change and Severe Weather

3.1: Habitat shifting and alteration

3.2: Droughts

6. Energy Production and Mining

6.3: Renewable energy

7. Human Intrusions and Disturbance

7.1: Recreational activities

Potential Conservation Actions

1. Land and Water Protection

1.2: Resource and habitat protection

Develop conservation easements on private lands in order to maintain and protect wildlife habitat and connectivity areas.

2. Land and Water Management

2.1: Site/area management

Develop and enhance artificial waters on the landscape to support wildlife.

2.3: Habitat and natural process restoration

Restore native vegetation and habitats such as mesquite bosques at appropriate locations using adaptive management techniques to improve success.
Remove barriers to improve landscape connectivity of this important wildlife movement corridor.
Develop alternatives that would improve connectivity across I-10, a major landscape barrier in the area.

3. Species Management

3.3: Species reintroduction

Continue to support Sonoran pronghorn reintroduction and recovery through capture-and-release operations and habitat improvement projects across their range.

4. Education and Awareness

4.2: Training

Conduct research to better understand impacts of utility-scale solar energy production facilities on wildlife populations and movement in order to better inform site selection, avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures for projects.

4.3: Awareness and communication

Increase awareness of effects of specific threats on wildlife species and habitats with an emphasis on how the threats can be reduced.

7. External Capacity Building

7.2: Alliance and partnership development

Partner with other agencies and NGOs to improve habitat connectivity across barriers such as I-10.
Increase collaborations with the renewable energy industry to improve wildlife habitats that may be adversely affected by these projects.