| Grulla NWR | |
| Status: | Identified | Area: | 3840 acres (1155 hectares) |
| County: | Roosevelt | Elevation: | 3763 feet (1147 meters) |
| Town: | Portales | Location: | 34°5.4’N, 103°4.4’W |
| Ownership | US Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 549, Muleshoe,
TX 79347, 806-946-3341 Private |
| Habitats | Grassland, Wetland (saline/alkaline lakes) |
| Land-use | Agriculture, Nature conservation |
| Threats | Overgrazing |
| Site Criteria | State wading birds (D4iii) |
| Site Description | Grulla
National Wildlfie Refuge is located in Roosevelt County, New Mexico, near the
small town of Arch, approximately 25 miles northwest of Muleshoe National
Wildlife Refuge. This 3,236-acre refuge is managed by the staff at Muleshoe NWR.
The refuge is comprised of 2,330 acres of a saline lake bed (Salt Lake) and 906
acres of grassland. Cattle from adjacent lands have grazed on the refuge
grasslands since 1969 when the land was acquired from the Bureau of Land
Management and fencing the area was determined to be unfeasible. Grulla is Spanish for "crane". Since the 1700s or earlier, the area was within the bison hunting territory of the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache tribes. Evidence of prehistoric bison hunting has been found on the Refuge. |
| Birds | When the lake holds sufficient water, Grulla NWR is a beneficial wintering area for lesser Sandhill Crane. Ring-necked Pheasant, Scaled Quail, and Lesser Prairie-chicken are often seen on or near the refuge. Shorebirds like the American Avocet and Baird's Sandpiper can sometimes be seen on Salt Lake in the fall. |
| Conservation Issues | Overgrazing is a serious problem at this site
especially during drought years. A portion of the salt playa is owned privately. The USFWS is trying to find the means to buy the rest of the playa. |
| Conservation Plan | |
| Monitor(s) | None assigned. |
| Nominator | Christopher Rustay, 1824 Stanford Drive NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106 |
| Sources | Personal observations (PO) |
| Links | Grulla NWR |
| Directions | From
Muleshoe, Texas: Drive south on Highway 214 for 13 miles to Needmore, then
follow FM 298 northwest approximately 15 miles to the New Mexico state line.
Turn left onto the 1/2 mile long entrance road, which ends at a small parking
area. From Portales, New Mexico: Drive approximately 25 miles southeast on Highway 88 to the Texas state line, then turn right onto the refuge entrance road. |
| Species | Year | Status | Population | Sources | Criteria |
| Sandhill Crane | 92 | Winter | 17000 individuals minimum | PO | D4iii |
