AZ-Hunters+Hole


 * =Birding in Arizona=

Yuma County
=Hunter's Hole= Gadsden, AZ 85336 Hunter's Hole webpage Hunter's Hole fact sheet and map

media type="custom" key="29298739"

Hunter's Hole
Coordinates: 32.52167, -114.79995 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Hunter's Hole
Hunters Hole is located along the Colorado River, in Arizona, approximately three miles north of the U.S. and Mexico Southerly International Boundary. Hunters Hole once consisted of a series of interconnected ponds with adjacent marsh and a few stands of cottonwood-willow. Water levels were maintained by groundwater, irrigation drain flows, and by a connecting channel to the main river channel. Unfortunately, the site has been degraded and most of the habitat lost due to declining water levels, the establishment of invasive plant species, and wildfires. Local officials from state, tribal, and Federal agencies have joined together in an effort to restore the area while increasing public safety and border security.

The Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area secured funding from the Arizona Department of Water Resources to restore 44 acres within the Hunters Hole area and the LCR MSCP agreed to provide funding for the long-term maintenance. This 44-acre restored area, referred to as a Conservation Area, contains marsh, riparian, and dry upland habitats. The Conservation Area is expected to attract native and migratory birds, other wildlife species and incorporates restoration needs, international security, cost-sharing, and allows for continued lower Colorado River operations within this reach of the river.

Restoration activities included: selective clearing of invasive reeds and salt cedar while leaving existing native trees, the installation of infrastructure to allow for managed flooding, and planting with native cottonwood-willow, marsh plants, salt grass, and honey mesquite. A groundwater well and pump were installed to provide a reliable fresh water supply, and the irrigation system has been automated to allow for remote control of the irrigation valves, pump, and irrigation run times for each flood irrigated cell.

Stakeholders in the project include the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. and Mexican Sections of the International and Boundary Water Commissions, Arizona Department of Fish and Game, the City of Yuma, Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, Environmental Defense Fund, National Wildlife Federation, ProNatura Noreste, and private landowners in the Area. The habitat restoration was completed in 2013 and the native riparian area should provide habitat for mammals and birds, including the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher. This cooperative restoration effort was developed with representatives from Mexico and should complement restoration efforts lead by ProNatura Noreste underway across the river, in Mexico, at Miguel Aleman and serves as a model for other binational restoration efforts. From Hunter's Hole webpage



|| media type="custom" key="29298745"

media type="custom" key="29298741" || L4534116 US US-AZ US-AZ-027 32.52167 -114.79995 Hunter's Hole