This COA is an Important Bird Area (IBA). The area consists of 27-miles of the Little Colorado River and a broad network of smaller tributaries. This unique COA hosts a variety of quality high-elevation habitats, including subalpine grasslands and Petran montane conifer forests. These habitats are important breeding areas for Mexican spotted owl, northern goshawk, and many other SGCN found in the limited high-elevation habitats of Arizona. Also found in this COA are several lakes and reservoirs, including Becker Lake and Bunch Reservoir, creating a rich mosaic of aquatic habitats.
Conservation Goals
- Improve maintain forest, woodland, and grassland vegetation communities within their range of natural variability and to make these communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
- Improve and maintain the hydrologic and ecological function of the watershed conditions, streams, riparian, and wetland areas and the species they support.
- Maintain and enhance travel corridors for a wide variety of wildlife species.
Map
Primary Threats
1. Agriculture
3. Climate Change and Severe Weather
4. Residential and Commercial Development
7. Human Intrusions and Disturbance
8. Invasive and Other Problematic Species
9. Natural System Modifications
Potential Conservation Actions
1. Land and Water Protection
- Acquire land and water rights and pursue conservation easements in and around COAs to improve habitat connectivity and buffer quality habitat blocks.
2. Land and Water Management
- Conserve a variety of habitats that support healthy populations of fish and wildlife as climate changes.
- Remove invasive woody vegetation along the riparian corridor and restore with native broadleaf trees.
- Improve management of trespass livestock that can damage the sensitive riparian habitats.
- Identify and protect key wildlife corridors for landscape connectivity.
- Restore and maintain diverse habitats to support broad species assemblages that account for range shifts.
- Improve management of water quality and quantity to maintain and enhance water levels for wildlife habitats.
3. Species Management
- Restore and improve riparian habitats to support populations of southwestern willow flycatcher, western yellow-billed cuckoo, and other SGCN
- Conduct research targeting species and habitat types likely to be vulnerable to climate change impacts.
Habitats Present
- Petran Montane Conifer Forests
- Petran Subalpine Conifer Forests and Alpine Tundra
- Plains and Great Basin Grasslands
- Subalpine Grasslands
- Lentic Systems
- Lotic Systems
- Wetlands
- Springs
Strategy Species
Amphibians
Chiricahua Leopard Frog, Arizona Tiger Salamander
Birds
American Dipper, American Kestrel, American Peregrine Falcon, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Bald Eagle, Clark's Nutcracker, Dusky Grouse, Flammulated Owl, Grace's Warbler, Long-eared Owl, MacGillivray's Warbler, Mexican Spotted Owl, American Goshawk, Olive Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Pine Siskin, Prairie Falcon, Red Crossbill, Rivoli's Hummingbird, Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, Swainson's Thrush, Western Burrowing Owl, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay
Mammals
Long-tailed Weasel, Mexican Vole, Mexican Gray Wolf, Arizona Montane Vole, New Mexican Jumping Mouse, Springerville Pocket Mouse, Stephen's Woodrat, Western Water Shrew, Allen's Lappet-browed Bat, Hoary Bat, Silver-haired Bat, Mexican Free-tailed Bat, Southwestern Myotis, Arizona Myotis, Long-legged Myotis, Fringed Myotis, Long-eared Myotis
Fish
See Associated Aquatic COAs for fish species.
Protected Areas and Other Areas of Conservation Value
- Becker Lake Wildlife Area
- Wenima Wildlife Area
- Mount Baldy Wilderness
Potential Partners
- White Mountain Audubon
Relevant Conservation Plans
- Mexican Spotted Owl Recovery Plan
- Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan
- New Mexico Jumping Mouse Recovery Plan
- Land Management Plan for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests (Revised October 2017)
- Four-Forest Restoration Initiative
Associated Aquatic COAs
- Benny Creek - Hall Creek To headwaters
- Burro Creek (Upper Black River)
- East Fork Little Colorado River - Fish barrier to headwaters
- East Fork Little Colorado River - Little Colorado River to fish barrier
- Fish Creek
- Hall Creek - Little Colorado River Confluence to White Mountain Reservoir
- Lee Valley Creek - Lee Valley Reservoir To Headwaters
- Little Colorado River - Hwy 261 to River Reservoir
- North Fork East Fork Black River (Upper Black River)
- South Fork Little Colorado River - upstream of fish barrier
- West Fork Black River (Upper Black River)
- West Fork Little Colorado River - fish barrier to headwaters