| Percha SP/Caballo Lake/Las Palomas |
|
| Status: | Recognized | Area: | 18000 acres (7285 hectares) |
| County: | Sierra | Elevation: | 4160 feet (1265 meters) |
| Town: | Truth or Consequences | Location: | 32°53.5392’N, 107°17.5956’W |
| Ownership | New Mexico State Parks, P.O. Box 32, Caballo, NM
87931, 505-743-3942 Bureau of Reclamation |
| Habitats | Forest (riparian), Wetlands (river, lake), Desert |
| Land-use | Recreation, Agriculture, Hunting, Nature conservation |
| Threats | Animal/plant introductions, Drainage |
| Site Criteria | State conservation species (D1), State species in rare/unique habitat (D3), State waterfowl (D4ii), State wading birds (D4iii), State shorebirds (D4v), State outstanding landbird stopover (D4vii) |
| Site Description | Percha Dam
State Park is a relatively manicured, open bosque of cottonwoods with picnic
tables and campsites. Flanking the east side of the park along the river is a
thick growth of willow and cottonwood. At the south end of the park
near the river is a fence with a narrow gap. For about a half mile, there is a
trail that follows the river and passes through a thick cottonwood bosque.
Directly north of the fee station and canal there is a woodland along the
river, accessible from the road or by crossing the canal in the park. Caballo Lake is 18 miles long and holds almost 350000 acre-feet of water. It has a surface area of over 11000 acres amid the Chihuahuan Desert. The reservoir was created in 1938 and is New Mexico's second-largest lake. The dam was built for water retention, flood control, irrigation, and 1906 treaty obligations with the Republic of Mexico. The lake is the winter home of many species of waterfowl and a migratory stop for wading and shore birds. The Palomas Marsh is located at the northern most point of Caballo Lake. The exclosure includes two vastly different habitats. One is the typical mesquite shrub zone (dry) with the other being the marshy area. You can enter the exclosure at the southeast corner in the dry area and you can walk down to the marsh. You can then walk back up and through the drier habitat to the NE corner. An interesting sidelight is the emergence of young willows, cottonwoods, and grasses at the edge of the marsh. |
| Birds | The waters of Caballo Reservoir are a significant concentration point for waterfowl, shorebirds, and waders. The bosque and marsh habitats at Percha State Park, Palomas Marsh and scattered locations along the reservoir edge represent very rare habitats in southern New Mexico, and thus attract concentrations of many migrants and priority breeding species. Over 300 species of birds have been seen in the Caballo/Percha/Palomas area. |
| Conservation Issues | 1. As with all sites along the Rio Grande, battles
over water rights, seasonal flows, and flood control could impact riparian
wetland habitats in the area. 2. Some salt cedar at Percha and along shore at Caballo. 3. Cattle grazing along lake limit cottonwood regeneration. |
| Conservation Plan | |
| Monitor(s) | None assigned |
| Nominator | Nancy Stotz, 2101 Sagecrest Ave., Las Cruces, NM, 88011, 505-521-8087 |
| Sources | Christmas Bird Counts NMCA 1995-1999 (CBC) Barry R. Zimmer personal list (November 13, 2000) (BRZ) Palomas Marsh compilation for the BLM C. Rustray personal observations (PO) |
| Links |
Caballo Lake State Park
Percha Dam State Park Christmas Bird Counts eBird New Mexico Hot Spot (Percha Dam SP, Caballo Dam SP, Las Palomas Marsh) |
| Directions | Percha, Caballo, and Palomas Marsh are all between
Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences. To reach Percha Dam State Park take I-25 exit 59. Upon exiting, turn south (toward Arrey) on NM-187 and proceed about 1 mile to a left turn at the south side of an apparently abandoned baseball diamond. Proceed east on this good gravel road After about 0.75 mile the gravel road turns right. Percha Dam State Park lies across a canal. To reach Caballo Lake State Park take I-25 exit 59 and turn north on the frontage road (NM-187) and almost immediately turn right (east) on a road marked for Caballo Dam and Caballo State Park. To reach Palomas Marsh, take Exit 71 (Las Palomas) off I-25. At the top of the off ramp, turn east and go to a stop (0.7 miles) and turn left. Go 0.2 miles and turn right on gravel road. Go straight for 0.8 miles and you will cross a road. Bear slightly to your left and then back to the right to cross. The fenced exclosure is on your left. |
| Species | Year | Status | Population | Source | Criteria |
| American Avocet | Passage | Fairly common | BRZ | D1 | |
| Bald Eagle | 95-04 | Winter | 11 individuals average, 22 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Bank Swallow | Passage | Uncommon | BRZ | D1 | |
| Brewer's Sparrow | 95-04 | Winter | 82 individuals average, 399 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Clark's Grebe | 95-04 | Resident | 73 individuals average, 384 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Cordilleran Flycatcher | Passage | Uncommon | BRZ | D1 | |
| Crissal Thrasher | 95-04 | Winter | 13 individuals average, 29 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Dusky Flycatcher | Passage | Uncommon | BRZ | D1 | |
| Eastern Bluebird | 95-04 | Winter | 11 individuals average, 27 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 95-04 | Winter | 3 individuals average, 6 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Gambel's Quail | 95-04 | Winter | 149 individuals average, 334 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Gray Flycatcher | Passage | Uncommon | BRZ | D1 | |
| Green-tailed Towhee | 95-04 | Winter | 5 individuals average, 27 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Lark Bunting | Passage | Fairly common | BRZ | D1 | |
| Long-billed Curlew | Passage | Uncommon | BRZ | D1 | |
| Lucy's Warbler | Breeding | Fairly common | BRZ | D1 | |
| MacGillivray's Warbler | Passage | Fairly common | BRZ | D1 | |
| Marsh Wren | 95-04 | Winter | 5 individuals average, 20 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Mountain Bluebird | 95-04 | Winter | 13 individuals average, 46 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Neotropic Cormorant | 95-04 | Winter | 25 individuals average, 82 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Olive-sided Flycatcher | Passage | Uncommon | BRZ | D1 | |
| Osprey | Passage | Uncommon | BRZ | D1 | |
| Plumbeous Vireo | Passage | Fairly common | BRZ | D1 | |
| Prairie Falcon | Winter | Uncommon | BRZ | D1 | |
| Red-naped Sapsucker | 95-04 | Winter | 10 individuals average, 19 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Ring-billed Gull | 95-04 | Winter | 2000 individuals average, 5000 individuals maximum | CBC | D4ii |
| Rufous-crowned Sparrow | 95-99 | Breeding | 4 individuals average, 7 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Sage Sparrow | 95-04 | Winter | 10 individuals average, 21 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Sandhill Crane | 95-04 | Winter | 2540 individuals average, 8136 individuals maximum | CBC | D4iii |
| Savannah Sparrow | 95-04 | Winter | 42 individuals average, 109 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Scott's Oriole | Breeding | Fairly common | BRZ | D1 | |
| Summer Tanager | Breeding | Uncommon | BRZ | D1 | |
| Townsend's Solitaire | 95-04 | Winter | 6 individuals average, 17 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Verdin | 95-04 | Winter | 19 individuals average, 43 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Western Bluebird | 95-04 | Winter | 33 individuals average, 80 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| Western Grebe | 95-04 | Winter | 147 individuals average, 901 individuals maximum | CBC | D1 |
| White-faced Ibis | Passage | Fairly common | BRZ | D1 | |
| Willow Flycatcher | Passage | Uncommon | BRZ | D1 | |
| Wilson's Phalarope | Passage | Common (Sp,F), Uncommon (S) | BRZ | D1 | |
| Wood Duck | Resident | Rare to Uncommon | BRZ | D1 | |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | Passage | Uncommon | BRZ | D1 |
