Arizona Wildlife Conservation Strategy

Willcox Playa and Cochise Lakes COA

Willcox Playa is a broad, alkaline lakebed fringed with semi-desert grassland (primarily saltgrass and sacaton) and mesquite. The Playa is seasonally flooded to a shallow depth. Surrounding the playa are the satellite lakes and wetlands of Cochise Lakes, alkali flats, and Willcox Playa Wildlife Area (containing Crane Lake). The Playa itself includes 23,000 acres leased by the U.S. Army to support missions at Fort Huachuca. It is not actively managed, and trespassing is prohibited. On the upper east side of the playa is the 555-acre Willcox Playa Wildlife Area which is managed by AZGFD. Willcox Playa and Crane Lake supports the second largest wintering concentration of sandhill cranes in Arizona, and many species of ducks and grebes also over-winter in large flocks. Additionally, the area serves as stopover habitat for several species of shorebirds and waterfowl. This complex of properties is one of Arizona’s Important Bird Area (IBA) Program, and provides ecotourism opportunities, with the annual Wings Over Willcox birding festival held every mid-January.

Conservation Goals

  • Maintain and enhance habitat integrity and diversity, and unfragmented habitat that provides adequate forage or prey, cover, and water for healthy wildlife populations.
  • Provide public access for hunting and watchable wildlife-oriented recreational activities.
  • Conduct monitoring and targeted removal efforts to limit establishment and spread of invasive species.
  • Maintain and increase surface water quality and quantity to improve rare riparian habitats for wildlife, both common and SGCN.
  • Ensure groundwater pumping does not adversely affect the subflow zone.

Map

Primary Threats

3. Climate Change and Severe Weather

3.2: Droughts

4. Residential and Commercial Development

4.1: Housing and urban areas

7. Human Intrusions and Disturbance

7.1: Recreational activities

8. Invasive and Other Problematic Species

8.1: Invasive non-native species

9. Natural System Modifications

9.3: Other ecosystem modifications

Potential Conservation Actions

2. Land and Water Management

2.1: Site/area management
  • Provide additional and alternative roosting, feeding, and resting areas for migratory birds, especially waterfowl and sandhill cranes.
2.2: Invasive/problematic species control
  • Conduct monitoring and targeted removal efforts to limit establishment and spread of invasive species including bullfrogs and salt cedar.
2.3: Habitat and natural process restoration
  • Work with partners and private landowners to maintain/improve surface water for wildlife.
  • Conserve and enhance habitat values for the benefit of waterfowl, migratory game birds and nongame birds and other wildlife.

5. Law and Policy

5.4: Compliance and enforcement
  • Improve enforcement of laws and regulations to reduce irresponsible recreational use (e.g. OHV and dumping) that can impair riparian habitats.

7. External Capacity Building

7.2: Alliance and partnership development
  • Facilitate and fund collaborative organizations to support coordinated management of the watershed.

Habitats Present

Strategy Species

Amphibians

Plains Leopard Frog

Birds

American Peregrine Falcon, Cassin's Sparrow, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Golden Eagle, Western Grasshopper Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Thick-billed Longspur, Sandhill Crane, Spotted Sandpiper, Western Burrowing Owl

Mammals

Lesser Long-nosed Bat, Plains Harvest Mouse

Reptiles

Ornate Box Turtle, Arizona Striped Whiptail

Fish

See Associated Aquatic COAs for fish species.

Protected Areas and Other Areas of Conservation Value

  • Wilcox Playa Wildlife Area
  • Wilcox Playa ACEC

Potential Partners

  • Audubon Southwest
  • Sonoran Joint Venture
  • Department of Defense
  • Wilcox Nature Association
  • City of Wilcox

Relevant Conservation Plans

Associated Aquatic COAs

  • No associated Aquatic COAs