| Otero Mesa | |
| Status: | Identified | Area: | 995500 acres (404700 hectares) |
| County: | Otero | Elevation: | 4700-5300 feet (1430-1615 meters) |
| Town: | Las Cruces/Alamogordo | Location: | 32°18’N, 105°53’W |
| Ownership | Fort Bliss, El Paso, TX, 79906, 915-568-3016 Bureau of Land Management, 1800 Marquees, Las Cruces, NM, 88005, 505-525-4300 |
| Habitats | Grassland/shrubland |
| Land-use | Grazing, Military activities, Hunting, Nature conservation |
| Threats | Grazing, Oil and gas exploration, Military activities |
| Site Criteria | State conservation species (D1), State species in rare/unique habitat (D3), State research site (D5) |
| Site Description | Otero Mesa - a vast, largely undeveloped area
located in southern Otero County - is bordered by McGregor Military Reservation
to the west, the Sacramento Mountains to the north, the Guadalupe Mountains to
the east, and the Texas state line to the south. This Chihuahuan Desert terrain
includes rolling grasslands, draws and canyons flowing to playas, low mountains
rising to 7280 feet. In addition to the grasslands, a variety of vegetation
occurs in this region. Cholla, yucca, mesquite, creosote, Mormon tea, and other
desert shrubs dot the grasslands. Pinyon-juniper is found on north facing
mountains slopes. Juniper savannah appears among the slopes, mesas, and
canyons. Chihuahuan desert scrub covers large expanses of the lowlands. Canyons
and arroyos support riparian trees. A large part, McGregor Range, is managed by Ft. Bliss under withdrawal from the BLM and is used for grazing as long as it does not interfere with military activities. The result is that McGregor Range is in good condition. BLM owns most of the mesa to the east of McGregor Range although some is privately held. The BLM lands have great potential for prairie dogs and all associated fauna and grassland birds. |
| Birds | Otero Mesa is a large, relatively undisturbed tract
of open grassland. The mesa is important for breeding Burrowing Owl and has potential
habitat for Aplomado Falcon and Mountain Plover. Migrating grassland birds
including Long-billed Curlew and Upland Sandpiper use the mesa. It contains
wintering and migration habitat for Baird's Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow,
Sprague's Pipit, and Ferruginous Hawk. When water is present, the playas attract
cranes, shorebirds and waterfowl. Ft. Bliss supplies bird information from McGregor Range only. More than 200 species have been documented. |
| Conservation Issues | Oil and gas exploration is being considered for Otero Mesa and will cause habitat fragmentation and degradation. |
| Conservation Plan | |
| Monitor(s) | None assigned |
| Nominator | Ray Meyer, 226 W. Willoughby, Las Cruces, NM, 88005, 505-541-5853 |
| Sources | Ft. Bliss reports J. Stokely Ligon, New Mexico Birds, 1961 (JSL) |
| Links | New Mexico Wilderness Alliance |
| Directions | From US-54 between Alamogordo and El Paso, turn east on NM-506. Numerous dirt and gravel roads go through various parts of the mesa. |
| Species | Year | Status | Population | Sources | Criteria |
| Aplomado Falcon | Extirpated | JSL | D1 | ||
| Baird's Sparrow | 97-00 | Winter | high variable | D1 | |
| Bald Eagle | 96-00 | Winter | 3 individuals | D1 | |
| Burrowing Owl | 96-00 | Breeding | 40+ pairs | ||
| Ferruginous Hawk | 97-00 | Winter | 10 individuals | D1 | |
| Mountain Plover | Breeding | D1 | |||
| Sprague's Pipit | 97-00 | Winter | unknown | ||
| Upland Sandpiper | Unknown |
