| Caja del Rio/Santa Fe River Canyon | |
| Status: | Identified | Area: | 39800 acres (16188 hectares) |
| County: | Sandoval, Santa Fe | Elevation: | 6400-6900 feet (1950-2100 meters) |
| Town: | Santa Fe | Location: | 35°41’N, 106°10’W |
| Ownership | Bureau of Reclamation |
| Habitats | Rock, Desert, Grassland/shrubland |
| Land-use | Idle |
| Threats | Agricultural intensification/expansion, Animal/plant introductions, Extraction industry |
| Site Criteria | State conservation species (D1) |
| Site Description | The Santa Fe
River Canyon contains bosque of willows and cottonwoods that is being
restored. This restoration runs for several miles along the road and has a
number of entry points through the fence. Pull well off the road as traffic can
be heavy. The Caja del Rio sits on a high mesa above the Santa Fe River. There are sparse scattered sections of Piñon-juniper woodland, large sections of choya forest, and open grassland. The area contains a number of dry arroyos with associated piñon-juniper. |
| Birds | Birds along the Santa Fe River include Killdeer, Say's Phoebe, Western and Cassin's Kingbird, Bullock's Oriole, Blue Grosbeak, Lark, Song, and White-crowned Sparrow, and Willow Flycatcher in migration. Up on Caja del Rio, birds include Curve-billed, Sage, and Bendire's Thrasher, Mockingbird, and Scott's Oriole. |
| Conservation Issues | Until recently the area was grazed. The BLM has now stopped this. |
| Conservation Plan | |
| Monitor(s) | Mary Ristow, Deanna Einspahr |
| Nominator | Christopher Rustay, 1824 Stanford Drive NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106 |
| Sources |
NMNHP Breeding Bird Survey 60009 La Cienega (BBS) Personal Observations (PO) |
| Links | Breeding Bird Survey 60009 |
| Directions | From the intersection of NM599 (Santa Fe Relief Route) and Airport Road go southwest past the turnoff to the Santa Fe Airport and the Santa Fe Sewer Treatment Plant. At 1.9 miles is the Santa Fe River Preserve on the left. Continuing another 1.3 miles, a gravel road on the right (SF County 56C) leads up the side of the mesa and onto the top to BLM land (Caja del Rio). [A high clearance vehicle is recommended for this road. Beware of rattlesnakes in this area.] |
| Species | Year | Status | Population | Source | Criteria |
| Bendire's Thrasher | 99 | Unknown | 1 individual | PO | D1 |
| Gray Vireo | 92 | Breeding | 6 singing males | PO | D1 |
| Pinyon Jay |
99 95-04 |
Resident Breeding |
2 individuals 9 individuals average, 32 individuals maximum |
PO BBS |
D1 |
| Plumbeous Vireo | 94 | Summer | 3 individuals | PO | D1 |
| Rufous-crowned Sparrow | 98-00 | Breeding | 8 individuals maximum | PO | D1 |
| Scott's Oriole |
99 95-04 |
Breeding Breeding |
3 individuals 2 individuals average, 5 individuals maximum |
PO BBS |
D1 |
| Western Bluebird | 95-04 | Breeding | 2 individuals average, 4 individuals maximum | BBS | D1 |
